Regional Economic Communities and Transnational Crimes: the Case of Hum Communityan Trafficking in the East Africa

Abstract

Generally, the study is about the role of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in curbing Transnational Crimes using the case of human trafficking in the East African Community (EAC). Consequently, the study examined the magnitude of the problem in East Africa Community, critically reviewed the existing legal regime and norms and concluded with a raft of recommendations to strengthen the ant-trafficking efforts by regional economic communities. The study set out two hypotheses namely that the continuation of human trafficking in East Africa Community is party attributed to weak institutional and normative frameworks and secondly, that the human trafficking activities in East Africa shift in response to national enforcement efforts. The study that depended on both primary and secondary data used a thematic approach to present the study findings was situated within the rational theory. While there are no clear statistical data on the magnitude of the human trafficking problem in the EAC, the member states were identified as source, transit and destination countries for victims of human trafficking. Sex trafficking to member states capital cities and coastal towns, trafficking to provide for cheap labor as domestic and farm workers are prevalent forms of internal trafficking. Further, the study established that trafficking of disabled children who are deployed as beggars across cities is a unique form of trafficking. The political turmoil, ethnic and tribal clashes, civil wars, poverty and lack of information were established to as major factors that increase the vulnerability of victims of trafficking. The ongoing political and civil wars have seen a number of underage children being recruited as child soldiers both within and outside the community. The ongoing war against the Somalia outfit, Al-Shabaab has seen many youths being trafficked to Somalia to be recruited as soldiers or be married off to the militants in case of women. While the member states have ratified a number of international and regional treaties, protocols and agreements to jointly fight the vice, the weak and uncoordinated enforcement of these legal instruments, inconsistencies in domestication of the legal instruments coupled with corruption and the deeply established criminal networks have left room for the crime to thrive. Further, the EAC free movement of people and goods policy, state sovereignty and competing interests among member states are also challenges in fighting human trafficking in the region. The study concludes that the weak legal regime is partly the reason why human trafficking is prevalent in the community. The study further identifies the existence of the EAC structure, the EALA and the existence of a vibrant civil society as opportunities that can deepen the fight against the vice. The study recommends for the adoption of technology, strengthening of capacities, partnerships and inter-government agency coordination, strengthening of compliance monitoring mechanisms and addressing the root causes of poverty, political instability and low employment rates to reduce the vulnerability of victims and improve conviction rates of criminals while protecting and preventing possible victims.