The Anti-Trafficking Bill 2024. (Photo: Charles Wote)

The taskforce on combating human trafficking and smuggling of persons has submitted the Anti-trafficking in Persons Bill, 2024, to the Ministry of Justice for review and presentation to the cabinet.

The ministries of Interior and Justice established the body of legal experts in December 2019 to advise the government on the ratification of relevant conventions and protocols.

In February 2024, the taskforce, with support from development partners, began drafting what would be the first anti-trafficking law in the country since it gained independence.

Interior Minister Angelina Teny said during the validation of the draft bill in Juba, that the document is now officially handed to the Ministry of Justice for review.

“This is the first stage. We have finished, we have validated it, it will now go to the Ministry of Justice, now the Ministry of Justice will go and do its mandate and its role on it,” Angelina said.

“Now I also want to add my voice and appealing to the Ministry of Justice that please don’t sit on this one with this I want to say this validation is complete and you people will continue to do the work. This document has been validated and officially now handed over to the Ministry of Justice.”  

Trafficking in Persons is defined by a UN protocol as the recruitment, transport, transfer, harboring or receipt of a person by such means as threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud or deception for the purpose of exploitation.

South Sudan is a destination market for human trafficking with the most prevalent forms of trafficking, according to the International Organization for Migration.

IOM said these forms of trafficking include forced recruitment into armed forces and armed groups, forced marriage, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation particularly among women and children, as well as labor exploitation.

The 39-page document has nine chapters that prohibit, prevent, and combat trafficking in persons in South Sudan, and protect and assist the victims.

Once enacted into law, it will enable timely and effective investigation, prosecution, and punishment of human traffickers.

Angelina Teny said there is a need to strengthen law enforcement and judicial institutions for the effective implementation of relevant laws in the country.