Ziguinchor: Seven Sierra Leonean women, including minors, at the center of an alleged sex trafficking case

A case of alleged human trafficking for sexual exploitation has brought two women before the public prosecutor at the Ziguinchor High Court. They are Fatu FOFANAH, alias "Loveta," a Sierra Leonean national, and Testimony BLESSING, a Nigerian national.

The case broke out after information gathered by the Ziguinchor Regional Branch of the Directorate for the Fight against Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking (DNLT) reported the presence of several young Sierra Leonean women in an apartment located in Kandialang.

The investigation led to the location of the residence. Seven Sierra Leonean nationals were found there, some of whom were reportedly 14 years old. They were taken to the police station for questioning and interviewing.

According to their statements, collected separately, they were allegedly recruited in Sierra Leone, some having transited through Guinea-Bissau, based on promises of employment or better living conditions. They were then allegedly taken to Ziguinchor, where they were housed in Kandialang's apartment before being subjected to sexual exploitation.

The young women implicated Fatu FOFANAH alias "Loveta" and Testimony BLESSING, whom they present as being involved in a network operating between Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.

According to testimonies gathered, the young women were allegedly forced to pay a debt of 1.5 million CFA francs. Some reportedly stated that they had already repaid this sum, while others were still in the process of repaying it.

They also explained that they received 3,000 CFA francs per client, with the proceeds being given to their recruiters at the end of each day. The amounts were reportedly recorded in notebooks found at the scene, containing names and various sums of money.

The alleged victims also claimed that their identity documents and mobile phones had been confiscated in order to restrict their movements and communication capabilities.

They also reported ritualistic practices, during which videos were allegedly made and kept as a means of exerting pressure.

The investigation also examined the health records presented by some of the young women. Some stated that they had never personally visited a health district and claimed that the records had been created from old documents, including changes to photographs and identity information.

According to their statements, these modifications would have notably made it possible to conceal the real age of some of them.

The case of Mary Conteh is particularly highlighted in the file. According to her testimony, she was recruited in Sierra Leone when she was 14 years old. Her parents were reportedly informed of a different job offer than the one she was ultimately forced to do.

She claims that an identity document was obtained to make her appear to be an adult before she was taken to Guinea-Bissau. She was then allegedly placed in the care of a woman named Kadiatou FOFANAH, also known as "Gift".

According to her account, she was still a virgin when she arrived and was told she was destined for prostitution. When she refused, she claims she was forced and taken to a bar called "GNANT," located opposite the Canchungo garage in Guinea-Bissau.

She was then allegedly placed at the disposal of the manager, nicknamed "Blacka", who allegedly subjected her to violence and forced sexual acts before her transfer to Ziguinchor, where she allegedly continued the sexual exploitation activity.

When confronted with the statements of the young women, Fatu FOFANAH alias "Loveta" and Testimony BLESSING essentially admitted their involvement in recruiting some of the girls found in the apartment and in housing them for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

They explained to investigators that their modus operandi relied on contacts established in Sierra Leone. These contacts would then reach out to the parents or directly to the girls, promising them well-paid jobs in Senegal.

Once they arrived, the young women would discover that the promised work did not correspond to reality and that they were destined for sexual exploitation.

The two women involved reportedly also stated that they themselves had been victims of similar practices. They explained their current involvement as stemming from a desire for revenge.

The investigation also reveals that some alleged victims could, after their exploitation, be transferred to other locations and handed over to other operators, for sums of up to 1 million CFA francs per victim.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Fatu FOFANAH, alias "Loveta," and Testimony BLESSING were brought before the public prosecutor at the Ziguinchor High Court. They are being prosecuted, notably for criminal conspiracy, pimping, extortion, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forgery and use of forged administrative documents, and complicity in rape.