Omdurman - Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Badriya Suleiman has stressed importance of amending the Human Trafficking Combating Act, 2015 to cope with the

national and international developments for curbing the phenomenon.
The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly was addressing yesterday a workshop on (vision for reactivation of national legal framework for combating the human trafficking crime), organized by the parliamentary Legislation and Justice Committee and the Society Studies Center.
She pointed out that Sudan is a country of transition to human trafficking operations and that to avoid being a state of origin the law should be reconsidered by toughening punishments stipulated in it, stressing importance of enhancing the national capacities working in the field of combating the phenomenon.
The Director of Khartoum Center for Human Rights, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mufti, presented a working paper, reviewing historical development for dealing with the human trafficking crime, referring to the positive points contained in the Human Trafficking Combating Act, saying that it is an advanced law, especially as regards human rights and noting that criminalization of harboring provided for by the law copes with the international law.
He pointed to importance of amending some articles included in the act.
Dr. Al-Mufti proposed naming a special rapporteur for human trafficking at any governmental unit concerned with combating the phenomenon.
Former rapporteur of human rights in the Ministry of Justice, Yasir Sidahmed, cited figures pertinent to human trafficking phenomenon in the world, saying that some 1.2 million refugees in the world were subjected to the crime and this besides 1.4 million children.
Representative of Criminal Investigations Department Brig. Yasir Abdul-Rahman, on his part, stressed importance of maintaining close coordination among all concerned bodies and collective work for curbing the crime and controlling it. This is besides provision of data basis.
Representative of National Intelligence and Security Service Lt. Col. Sidig Haroun, on his part, indicated that US considers the phenomenon as human trafficking, while Europe terms it as smuggling of humans, reviewing the great efforts exerted by Sudan for combating the crime.
He affirmed that the Sudanese act fully conforms to the international laws and conventions, stressing the importance of amending the law to distinguish between the victim and the illegal migrant.