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US lists Afghanistan among worst human trafficking states
The US State Department claimed that there have been frequent reports for child molestation in the Afghan military, and police forces but officers have never been prosecuted for child abuse.
In its annual report – 2020 Trafficking in Person – released on June 25, the US State Department listed 10 countries -Afghanistan, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Russia, South Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela – that are allegedly involved in state-sponsored human trafficking.
The report note Bacha Bazi – a slang term in some parts of Afghanistan for a wide variety of activities involving sexual relations between younger adolescent men or boys, who are called dancing boys, and older men – and the presence of children among the Afghan security forces.
The report said, “However, during the reporting period, there was a government policy or pattern of sexual slavery in government compounds (bacha bazı) and recruitment and use of child soldiers. Despite local officials’ widespread acknowledgment that many police, especially commanders at remote checkpoints, recruited boys for Bacha bazı, some high-level and provincial authorities, including at the Ministry of Interior (MOI), categorically denied the existence of bacha bazı among police and would not investigate reports.”
Child molestation is widely criminalized in Afghanistan, and the Human Rights Commission has criticized such behavior among security forces, saying it violates human rights and children’s rights laws, and the government must protect the children.
The State Department has said that it is investigating allegations that 165 children were trafficked in Logar province for sexual exploitation and identified 20 perpetrators.
The report states that some victims of trafficking are forced to have sex in exchange for following up on the case, or that they are raped and sent to prison if they attempt to expose the resulting human traffickers.
A 20-year-old Afghan migrant has been arrested in Germany over the alleged sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl inside a school toilet in the city of Koblenz.
According to prosecutors, the incident occurred on April 28 after the suspect and another man allegedly entered the school premises. Investigators say the suspect cornered the girl in the restroom while a second 19-year-old man allegedly restrained her during the attack.
The girl reportedly told her older sister about the incident two days later. Her family then located the suspect at a nearby residence and informed police.
German authorities arrested the suspect on May 4. He remains in pre-trial detention and has been charged with committing sexual acts against a child on school grounds.
The Koblenz prosecutor’s office confirmed the suspect’s Afghan nationality to German broadcaster SWR. Prosecutors also stated that the man had previously been under investigation in another alleged sexual offence case. He had earlier been fined for possessing a blank-firing pistol without a licence.
Police said the second suspect is still being investigated as a suspected accomplice and remains at large.
Authorities have not yet clarified how the two men allegedly gained access to the school property.
Matiul Haq Khalis, Director General of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), left for Baku on Friday at the head of an official delegation to participate in the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), a major international gathering focused on sustainable urban development and environmental challenges.
The forum, organized by UN-Habitat, is scheduled to take place from May 17 to 22 in the Azerbaijani capital under the theme “Housing for All: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.”
According to Afghan officials, the delegation will participate in a series of technical meetings and discussions on climate change, environmental protection in urban areas, sustainable development, waste management, green cities, air pollution control and strengthening urban resilience.
The World Urban Forum is regarded as one of the world’s leading platforms on urbanization and environmental policy, bringing together government officials, mayors, international organizations, climate experts and development institutions from across the globe.
On the sidelines of the event, Khalis and accompanying officials are also expected to meet with representatives of international organizations, donor agencies and foreign governments to discuss environmental cooperation, technical support and future joint initiatives.
Afghanistan’s environmental authority described participation in the forum as an important opportunity to expand international engagement, exchange experiences and seek practical solutions to the country’s growing environmental and urban challenges.
The visit comes as Afghanistan faces increasing concerns over climate-related risks, rapid urbanization, air pollution and environmental degradation, issues that officials say require broader regional and international cooperation.
Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday that Afghanistan remains a major focus for Washington in terms of terrorist activity and regional security threats.
Speaking during a hearing before lawmakers, Cooper said Afghanistan continues to be “on the forefront” of U.S. monitoring efforts regarding militant groups.
“Afghanistan remains on the forefront of what we are watching in terms of terrorist activity,” he told the committee.
The CENTCOM commander added that the United States is working closely with regional partners to contain and suppress potential threats emerging from Afghanistan.
The remarks come as U.S. officials continue to express concerns over the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American forces from the country in 2021.
The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied presence of militant groups in Afghanistan, emphasizing that it will not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country.
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