Human Trafficking

8 Croatians Granted Bail In Zambian Child Trafficking Case

By Sennoga Jordan

Posted on September 21, 2023

Africa never ceases to have problems that continue to plunge the continent into more misery despite efforts to move forward. Apparently in Zambia, 8 Croatians have been granted bail in a child trafficking case. As a result, it has brought about a mammoth of mixed views from not only Africa but also Croatia.

What happened? On December 7 last year, the Croatians ( four couples ) connived with a Zambian immigration officer to try and traffic four children in the age range of 1- 3 from the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ).

What they said: However, the group of Croatians vehemently denied the charges. In their defence, they claimed to have legally adopted the Children. This makes one wonder: why then are they being accused of trafficking minors? Can there really be smoke without fire?

Despite efforts by some parties to bar the Croatians from getting bail, on Tuesday the foreigners got bail. The magistrate, Jennipher Bwalya said nothing can exclude them from getting bail. The 8 Croatians had to pay $1000 ( UGX 3,668,308 ) each in bail and offer two sureties.

Is adoption the new way of child trafficking?

In Ugandan oral tradition, there is a famous saying: “no one can feel pity for you unless they have a way they can benefit.” The fact that a number of whites have often come out to adopt black children leaves a lot of unanswered questions lingering.

We are all well aware of the history of whites coming to Africa. Slavery and the numerous activities not only degraded African dignity but also made the continent lagging behind in terms of development. There is a new form of neo-colonialism being battled across Africa. Is adopting black children by whites a new way of child trafficking?

The answer may not arise in this article but the shocking statistics in Zambia can not be taken lightly. For instance, in the Balkan nation, there are “ potential adopters vastly outnumbered eligible children. “ Whatever benefit they gain from the adoption of black children, we pray it’s just a humanitarian gesture and not the much-feared child trafficking.