Press Releases
Trafficking in Persons Training Graduation Ceremony
May 7, 2007
U.S. Ambassador Michael L. Retzer attended a graduation ceremony May 4 to congratulate participants who took part in a two-week training course to combat human trafficking. Ambassador Retzer said that Tanzania, as a focus country of the U.S. President’s Initiative on Anti-Trafficking, is poised to become a model for addressing this global problem of modern-day slavery.
The 43 course participants from the police, judiciary, immigration, and the National Organization for Legal Assistance learned criminal investigative methods for human trafficking cases, including evidence collection, crime scene processing, and guidance for interviewing victims, suspects, and witnesses. Trial preparation and court presentation were played out through a moot court, enabling course participants to immediately put into action what they had learned in the classroom.
The training to combat human trafficking enables the police, immigration, and prosecutors to protect victims and prosecute traffickers. Ambassador Retzer emphasized to course participants “your actions are critical to protecting Tanzanians from suffering as victims of trafficking, either domestically or abroad.”
Investigators and prosecutors learned they must work as a team in order to take care of trafficking victims and pursue legal cases against traffickers. There is Anti-Trafficking legislation under consideration which will enable authorities to pursue cases specifically related to trafficking offenses. Participants thanked the instructors from the U.S. Department of Justice for raising their awareness of the problem of human trafficking and promised to put into practice what they had learned during the course.
This course is only one of several programs the U.S. Government provides as direct assistance to Tanzania. During the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2006, the U.S. Government is expected to provide over 680 billion Tanzanian shillings in direct assistance and through multilateral organizations to Tanzania.