Twenty children, aged between 12 and 15, were rescued after a tip-off while traveling by train in Nampula, in the north of the country, on their way to work in agricultural fields, Lusa reported.
The Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) rescued 20 children, allegedly victims of trafficking for child labor, and arrested two suspects involved in the case, a police source announced on Wednesday (1).
The children, aged between 12 and 15, were rescued in the Malema district following a tip-off as they were on their way to work in farm fields in the Cuamba district, in the neighboring province of Niassa, also in the north of the country.
“Following this investigation, we were able to arrest two individuals linked to this case (…). They confessed that they were transporting these children from the Ribáuè district [also in Nampula] to Cuamba, where they were going to work on a machamba [farm],” said Rosa Chaúque, a PRM spokesperson in Nampula.
She added that efforts are underway to locate the families of the 20 children and ensure that those involved are held criminally accountable.
“We want to urge parents and guardians to remain vigilant regarding cases of this nature, because child exploitation is a crime and we cannot allow children to become victims,” added Rosa Chaúque.
The number of children involved in child labor, including hazardous activities such as artisanal mining, has doubled in Mozambique over the past ten years, reaching 2.4 million in 2021, according to government data.
The government ratified International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 138 concerning the minimum age for admission to employment, which led to the enactment of Law No. 23/2007, establishing 15 as the minimum working age.
