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Rwanda hands over Burundi 12 women victims of human trafficking

Xinhua, August 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Rwandan police have sent 12 Burundian women back home after it was revealed that they were on their way to arab countries as victims of human trafficking, Burundian police sources said Thursday.

"This week, the Rwandan police sent us 12 women who were victims of human trafficking. Nine of them were brought back home via Akanyaru border post in Ngozi province, while the other three used the Ruhwa border post in Cibitoke province," said Burundian Police Spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye.

According to him, one of the human traffickers who was taking them to arab countries was arrested along with those women.

Nkurikiye added that two of four Burundian women who were already in Oman as a result of human trafficking were brought back home since the beginning of this month.

"The Burundian foreign affairs ministry and the Burundian national police are doing their best to repatriate the two remaining women who have been crying for help as all other Burundian women who are victims of human trafficking in arab countries," he said.

Human trafficking is a serious issue, according to organizations in charge of children's rights promotion.

By mid June, the Burundian police arrested seven persons over human trafficking accusations and identified 11 companies involved in human trafficking in the east African nation.

The arrested persons included three Burundians and four Kenyans.

Four of the 11 companies or organizations involved in human trafficking are based in Burundi, while the other four companies are based in Saudi Arabia and two others are based in Oman while the 11th one is based in Kenya.

Nkurikiye indicated that the four Burundian companies had been collaborating with the remaining seven foreign companies in the human trafficking business.

He indicated that since mid April this year, at least 280 persons, most of them girls, were victims of human trafficking.

The Burundian police suspected that those girls do sex work when they arrive at their destinations. Endit