West Africa: UNICEF seeks details on fate of children aboard alleged slave ship

UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, is trying to gather information today on the fate of children reported to have been on a slave ship that docked last night in Benin, a UN spokesman told the press in New York.

"The suspected ship docked in Benin last night but the 145 passengers were mainly adults accompanied by about 28 children," Fred Eckhard said. "UNICEF country offices in Benin, Cameroon and Gabon are working with local authorities to determine the facts."

The slave ship had been at sea for over two weeks, and had been turned away by authorities in Gabon and Cameroon five days ago. The Government of Benin is leading the investigation.

According to UNICEF, some 200,000 children are trafficked across the national borders of about 20 countries in West and Central Africa every year, and end up working in agriculture, fishing, domestic labour, urban sweat shops and the sex trade.