Laayoune – Morocco and Niger signed on Monday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the fight against human trafficking in Africa.
The two nations signed the agreement to commemorate the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, which was celebrated on Saturday, July 30.
Signing the agreement for Morocco was Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, while Niger was represented by a delegation from the West African country’s National Coordination Commission for the Fight against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants.
Ouahbi noted Morocco’s constant efforts in fighting human trafficking, citing the issuing of the Anti-Trafficking Law 27.14 in 2016. According to the Moroccan minister, the law aims to establish a definition of “trafficking in persons” as well as protect the vulnerable victims of this criminal phenomena.
The minister called for enhancing global collaboration in a variety of areas, arguing that strengthening bilateral and multilateral international agreements is a crucial first step in limiting the growth of human trafficking.
Moumouni Hamidou, the president of the Niger delegation that singed the MoU, highlighted Morocco’s experience in dealing with human trafficking and irregular migration, citing the Moroccan police’s efforts to dismantle irregular migration and human trafficking networks.
Last year, the Moroccan police took apart 150 criminal organizations that were in charge of planning irregular migration in 2021, seizing 415 suspects and 12,231 would-be migrants.
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Hamidou also noted the importance of signing this memorandum in strengthening bilateral cooperation between Morocco and Niger.
Morocco has signed 79 agreements for judicial cooperation in criminal matters with several nations, including Israel, Belgium, and Qatar.
