Latest news with #witchcraft
France 24
7 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Stigma haunts Gambians accused in state witch purge: study
Hundreds of people, many of them elderly women, were targeted under the eccentric west African dictator's 2008-2009 purge on witchcraft. The victims were taken to his compound and other secret locations where they were subjected to beatings, rape and forced to drink hallucinogenic concoctions. The episode created lasting psychological and social scars that endure not just for the victims but also their families and communities, according to a new study in the Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology. The research, funded by the United Nations Development Programme, involved interviews and surveys in the five communities most affected by Jammeh's witchcraft purges, located in western Gambia. Under the study, led by researcher Mick Finlay of the UK's Anglia Ruskin University and conducted in collaboration with the University of The Gambia and Nottingham Trent University, a total of 153 people were interviewed and 128 surveyed. Although many of the participants believed the witch hunts were organised to frighten people not to speak out against Jammeh (89 percent) or to create divisions (87 percent), a full quarter also believed the threat from witches was real, according to the research. To keep citizens in a permanent state of fear during his 22-year rule , Jammeh wielded a potent mix of brute force, mysticism and pervasive superstition -- including beliefs that Jammeh had supernatural powers. Belief in witchcraft has strong roots in The Gambia, particularly rural areas, where witches are said to cause illness, infertility, financial misfortune and death, and are additionally believed to eat children. The fact that the witchcraft accusations were state-orchestrated makes the situation unique, Finley told AFP. Normally, witchcraft accusations are "more gossip and rumour", he said in an interview. Against the state-backed nature of these witch hunts, victims felt the issue should be dealt with at the community or even government level. "The victims often said, you know, we want the government to come out and tell everybody that we are not witches," Finlay told AFP. There are "really simple things in terms of mending people's reputations that need to happen after dictatorships and war", Finlay added. A Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) to investigate human rights abuses carried out under Jammeh's rule between 1994 and 2017 recommended the establishment of a law making witchcraft accusations illegal. People 'avoid us' Approximately 41 deaths occurred during the witch hunts, with victims also suffering long-term health issues from being forced to drink toxic liquids, beatings and other abuse, according to the TRRC. Research for the new report, which was conducted in 2022, revealed that victims were the targets of shaming, mocking and gossip and often felt unable to attend traditional cultural events. "People tend to avoid us", one victim told the researchers. "We don't go their funerals or their naming ceremonies." Self-isolation was also reported, as was stigmatisation of victims' families, children and larger communities. To conduct the purges, Jammeh invited Guinean and Malian witch hunters into The Gambia, while his Green Boys and Girls vigilante group and the armed forces also helped carry out the roundups, according to the report. While the exact motivation behind the episode is unclear, Jammeh believed that witches had killed his aunt. Victims were taken to a compound in the southern village of Kanilai where Jammeh lived. There, they were generally held for several days while being forced to drink noxious liquid and sometimes bathe in an herbal concoction. Although a wide variety of community members were invited to participate in the survey, researchers said those comfortable with talking about stigmatisation could be over-represented, while those with a fear of witches could be under-represented. After losing an election to current President Adama Barrow in 2016, Jammeh fled The Gambia the following January for Equatorial Guinea.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
This Morning fans fume 'I've had to switch off, it's absolutely pathetic!' after TikTok WITCHES take over studio - and blast ITV for 'taking the show to rock bottom'
This Morning fans fumed 'I've had to switch off' after TikTok witches took over the studio. Thursday's instalment of the ITV show saw co-hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard sit down with three women who identified as witches. Mother and daughter duo Emma Griffin and Holly Kenyon, as well as Katy Whyte opened up about their lives as professional witches. All three post about their magical activities on TikTok and Emma explained: 'I think because the word 'witch' people are scared of it because of the movies, and I think now people are looking at it as a form of wellness and good for their emotions and inner calmness. 'It's really beautiful to see younger generations, especially Holly's age stepping into witchcraft and sharing their magic.' Holly had been brought up surrounded by witchcraft as both her mother and grandmother practised. Emma revealed that 'anyone can be a witch' and Katy opened up about how she was interested in it from being young. Katy said: 'For me, when I was a teenager, I was drawn to it, I would end up in the witchy shops. 'I was completely in the closet, all my books hidden from my parents because I was really embarrassed by it because back then it wasn't on social media so this is why I think it's so lovely now.' She revealed she was interested in 'the cycles of nature' and the moon. While Holly explained: 'I've been doing it since my earliest memory is 7 years old, I used to make potions from my mums stuff in the bathroom and carried it on from there.' As for those who are more cynical to witchcraft, Holly said: 'I look at it as a way of it's a lifestyle and it's a beautiful way to connect to nature and it's embracing slow living and going back to what our ancestors gave us.' However, the witches were not well received by some viewers who took to social media to share their thoughts. One posted on X: 'FFS! ...I am lost for words . ..Witches #ThisMorning.' However, the witches were not well received by some viewers who took to social media to share their thoughts Another added: 'This is so ridiculous and mind numbing, had to switch off, absolutely pathetic! #ThisMorning.' Someone else raged: 'It's the segment of talking b*****s tra la la la la la la la la la #Thismorning.' 'Producers seeing how far down they can take this programme,' another posted, alongside an image of a hole in the ground. While one watcher said: 'Witches eh? More believeable than mermaids I suppose. #thismorning.' On a more positive note, Cat Deeley's chic River Island outfit went down a treat with fans, who praised it as looking 'much more expensive than it is.'
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In African politics, the rampant belief in witchcraft fortifies some and vexes others
MBALE, Uganda (AP) — Wilson Watira offered his hand when he met his political rival at a funeral, gesturing for a proper handshake. The man didn't want contact, instead folding a piece of paper that he aimed at Watira. 'He looked at me and picked that piece of paper of the program. He folded it and greeted me,' Watira said. 'He's just afraid of me simply because I am not afraid of him.' Watira, who seeks a seat in Uganda's Parliament, remembered the recent event as a vivid example of the rampant fear of witchcraft as politicians seeking office try to outmaneuver each other in this east African country. In public, political contests often entail spectacles where rivals rent cars to mount raucous processions in the streets, offering cash and other inducements to voters. Behind the scenes, the struggle for victory can be intensely spiritual, with faith figuring in incidents ranging from ritual sacrifice to visits with traditional healers, according to Watira and others who spoke to The Associated Press. Watira, a leader of a group uniting Uganda's Bamasaba people, said the incumbent legislator who refused to shake his hand may have worried that would somehow give Watira the upper hand or provoke misfortune. Watira said he wasn't surprised by the man's behavior. 'The moment your mind is pushed to that level, everything which happens you will always be suspicious,' he said, speaking of overcoming his own fear of witchcraft. 'You will start imagining, and that is the biggest challenge in our society.' Spiritual warfare among politicians is part of a wider struggle over faith in Uganda, where Christianity is the dominant religion. Many who regularly attend church also secretly visit traditional shrines for the occult service they believe can lead them to victory. The syncretism has long confounded church leaders who teach that Christianity is incompatible with any vestiges of traditional religion, which remains widely practiced across sub-Saharan Africa. In African politics, often marked by bitter feuds along class and ethnic lines, fear of witchcraft can prove explosive. In South Sudan, Vice President Riek Machar believes himself to be the left-handed man with gapped teeth prophesied by a tribal seer a century ago as the unifying leader of his nation. There's widespread belief that the superstition fuels Machar's quest for power in South Sudan, which has been wracked by war since independence in 2011 as Machar tried to remove President Salva Kiir. In Kenya, some of the anti-government protesters who gathered last month in the capital, Nairobi, said the disorientation they felt while nearing the presidential residence was likely an evil spell in favor of President William Ruto. He also faces criticism for building a church within the statehouse compound that some critics see as an ominous shrine. In Zambia, two men are on trial for allegedly practicing witchcraft and possessing charms intended to harm President Hakainde Hichilema. Hichilema himself once was accused of practicing witchcraft by his predecessor Michael Sata, who contended the charms from his home region were stronger. In Uganda's capital, Kampala, and other cities, some street poles are plastered with notices by people promising to magically catch thieves or regain lost lovers. Now, many also advertise authority to secure politicians' victory in elections set for January 2026. 'Across all Ugandan communities there is a crazy reliance on the witch doctors, crazy reliance by politicians,' said Steven Masiga, a researcher and cultural leader in the city of Mbale. 'Witch doctors now are reaping money from politicians. Now, as politicians mobilize money, there is a percentage for the witch doctor because the real hope is in the witch doctor.' Many candidates feel that 'voters can oscillate around but the witch doctors never let you down," he said. Masiga cited a politician in his area who years ago, urged on by a witch doctor, skinned a goat alive without slaughtering the animal. The witch doctor's client won the election. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in power for four decades and a candidate for reelection, has previously expressed his respect for African witch doctors, an often pejorative term referring to medicine men and women who prescribe herbs for ailments and others who claim to erase problems by magic. Some of these practitioners prefer to be described as traditional healers. In a speech last year, Museveni recalled jumping over a slaughtered chicken three times in the ritual he performed as the leader of the bush war that propelled him to power in 1986. Museveni said of traditional religion that 'it is very strong' and urged mainstream religious leaders not to antagonize its practitioners. 'We had a very good relationship with them,' he said of traditional healers. Many Ugandan politicians are believed to retain the services of witch doctors, but they rarely admit it in public to avoid ridicule. Some national leaders have been seen entering witch doctors' shrines over the years, drawing criticism from church leaders who condemn such behavior. In 2016, parliamentary speaker Rebecca Kadaga was photographed entering a shrine associated with her clan in eastern Uganda. The Anglican archbishop issued a rebuke; Kadaga, who has since left the speakership, said she sought to inform her ancestors of her political success. 'Who doesn't have an origin? Who doesn't have where they came from? Those are my roots,' she told reporters. In Mbale, where ritualized circumcision of boys underscores widespread belief in age-old customs, traditional healer Rose Mukite said she receives political clients from far outside her region. In her shrine, an igloo-like structure whose small entrance forces clients to kneel or squat to get in, she demonstrated her practice by shaking calabashes and tossing cowrie shells on the floor. A tobacco pipe is another tool of her trade; she blows smoke while divining the future. Mukite's career began in 1980 after being possessed by a spirit that she said she had to overcome to gain the spiritual authority she now claims. She offers her services for a small fee. 'I have many, many (clients)," she said. She said she helps some politicians by administering a tree bark to chew, potentially saving them from calamities such as imprisonment. If her practices were unhelpful, she said, she wouldn't still be at work after so many years. Sometimes it's too late, she said — politicians come to her when already doomed to fail. 'I can't say that I succeed with everything,' she said. 'Just like in the hospital when death comes.' Peace Khalayi, a Catholic running to represent the women of her district in Parliament, has fended off suggestions by supporters who want her to perform rituals they think can help her win. She campaigns among Muslims and Seventh-Day Adventists and would consider paying homage to a village elder. But a classic act in the practice of traditional religion, such as a requirement to sacrifice livestock, is unacceptable to her. She recalled instances where people urged her to consult a witch doctor. 'You tell them, 'We shall go.' You pretend that, yes, you have accepted. But you do not actually show up.' Still, Khalayi said she sometimes worries how her opponents could hurt her if she isn't sufficiently protected. 'Definitely the fear is there. That's no lie,' she said. 'When you have an opponent, you may probably want to be open with them, but it is just in us that you cannot openly engage with your opponent.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Al Arabiya
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
In African politics, the rampant belief in witchcraft fortifies some and vexes others
Wilson Watira offered his hand when he met his political rival at a funeral, gesturing for a proper handshake. The man didn't want contact, instead folding a piece of paper that he aimed at Watira. 'He looked at me and picked that piece of paper of the program. He folded it and greeted me,' Watira said. 'He's just afraid of me simply because I am not afraid of him.' Watira, who seeks a seat in Uganda's Parliament, remembered the recent event as a vivid example of the rampant fear of witchcraft as politicians seeking office try to outmaneuver each other in this east African country. In public, political contests often entail spectacles where rivals rent cars to mount raucous processions in the streets, offering cash and other inducements to voters. Behind the scenes, the struggle for victory can be intensely spiritual, with faith figuring in incidents ranging from ritual sacrifice to visits with traditional healers, according to Watira and others who spoke to The Associated Press. Watira, a leader of a group uniting Uganda's Bamasaba people, said the incumbent legislator who refused to shake his hand may have worried that would somehow give Watira the upper hand or provoke misfortune. Watira said he wasn't surprised by the man's behavior. 'The moment your mind is pushed to that level, everything which happens you will always be suspicious,' he said, speaking of overcoming his own fear of witchcraft. 'You will start imagining, and that is the biggest challenge in our society.' Spiritual warfare among politicians is part of a wider struggle over faith in Uganda, where Christianity is the dominant religion. Many who regularly attend church also secretly visit traditional shrines for the occult service they believe can lead them to victory. The syncretism has long confounded church leaders who teach that Christianity is incompatible with any vestiges of traditional religion, which remains widely practiced across sub-Saharan Africa. In African politics, often marked by bitter feuds along class and ethnic lines, fear of witchcraft can prove explosive. In South Sudan, Vice President Riek Machar believes himself to be the left-handed man with gapped teeth prophesied by a tribal seer a century ago as the unifying leader of his nation. There's widespread belief that the superstition fuels Machar's quest for power in South Sudan, which has been wracked by war since independence in 2011, as Machar tried to remove President Salva Kiir. In Kenya, some of the anti-government protesters who gathered last month in the capital, Nairobi, said the disorientation they felt while nearing the presidential residence was likely an evil spell in favor of President William Ruto. He also faces criticism for building a church within the statehouse compound that some critics see as an ominous shrine. In Zambia, two men are on trial for allegedly practicing witchcraft and possessing charms intended to harm President Hakainde Hichilema. Hichilema himself once was accused of practicing witchcraft by his predecessor Michael Sata, who contended the charms from his home region were stronger. In Uganda's capital, Kampala, and other cities, some street poles are plastered with notices by people promising to magically catch thieves or regain lost lovers. Now, many also advertise authority to secure politicians' victory in elections set for January 2026. 'Across all Ugandan communities, there is a crazy reliance on the witch doctors, crazy reliance by politicians,' said Steven Masiga, a researcher and cultural leader in the city of Mbale. 'Witch doctors now are reaping money from politicians. Now, as politicians mobilize money, there is a percentage for the witch doctor because the real hope is in the witch doctor. Many candidates feel that voters can oscillate around, but the witch doctors never let you down,' he said. Masiga cited a politician in his area who, years ago, urged on by a witch doctor, skinned a goat alive without slaughtering the animal. The witch doctor's client won the election. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in power for four decades and a candidate for reelection, has previously expressed his respect for African witch doctors, an often pejorative term referring to medicine men and women who prescribe herbs for ailments and others who claim to erase problems by magic. Some of these practitioners prefer to be described as traditional healers. In a speech last year, Museveni recalled jumping over a slaughtered chicken three times in the ritual he performed as the leader of the bush war that propelled him to power in 1986. Museveni said of traditional religion that 'it is very strong' and urged mainstream religious leaders not to antagonize its practitioners. 'We had a very good relationship with them,' he said of traditional healers. Many Ugandan politicians are believed to retain the services of witch doctors, but they rarely admit it in public to avoid ridicule. Some national leaders have been seen entering witch doctors' shrines over the years, drawing criticism from church leaders who condemn such behavior. In 2016, parliamentary speaker Rebecca Kadaga was photographed entering a shrine associated with her clan in eastern Uganda. The Anglican archbishop issued a rebuke. Kadaga, who has since left the speakership, said she sought to inform her ancestors of her political success. 'Who doesn't have an origin? Who doesn't have where they came from? Those are my roots,' she told reporters. In Mbale, where ritualized circumcision of boys underscores widespread belief in age-old customs, traditional healer Rose Mukite said she receives political clients from far outside her region. In her shrine, an igloo-like structure whose small entrance forces clients to kneel or squat to get in, she demonstrated her practice by shaking calabashes and tossing cowrie shells on the floor. A tobacco pipe is another tool of her trade; she blows smoke while divining the future. Mukite's career began in 1980 after being possessed by a spirit that she said she had to overcome to gain the spiritual authority she now claims. She offers her services for a small fee. 'I have many many (clients),' she said. She said she helps some politicians by administering a tree bark to chew, potentially saving them from calamities such as imprisonment. If her practices were unhelpful, she said she wouldn't still be at work after so many years. 'Sometimes it's too late,' she said–politicians come to her when already doomed to fail. 'I can't say that I succeed with everything,' she said. 'Just like in the hospital when death comes.' Peace Khalayi, a Catholic running to represent the women of her district in Parliament, has fended off suggestions by supporters who want her to perform rituals they think can help her win. She campaigns among Muslims and Seventh-Day Adventists and would consider paying homage to a village elder. But a classic act in the practice of traditional religion such as a requirement to sacrifice livestock is unacceptable to her. She recalled instances where people urged her to consult a witch doctor. 'You tell them 'We shall go.' You pretend that yes, you have accepted. But you do not actually show up.' Still, Khalayi said she sometimes worries how her opponents could hurt her if she isn't sufficiently protected. 'Definitely the fear is there. That's no lie,' she said. 'When you have an opponent, you may probably want to be open with them, but it is just in us that you cannot openly engage with your opponent.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Associated Press
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
In African politics, the rampant belief in witchcraft fortifies some and vexes others
MBALE, Uganda (AP) — Wilson Watira offered his hand when he met his political rival at a funeral, gesturing for a proper handshake. The man didn't want contact, instead folding a piece of paper that he aimed at Watira. 'He looked at me and picked that piece of paper of the program. He folded it and greeted me,' Watira said. 'He's just afraid of me simply because I am not afraid of him.' Watira, who seeks a seat in Uganda's Parliament, remembered the recent event as a vivid example of the rampant fear of witchcraft as politicians seeking office try to outmaneuver each other in this east African country. In public, political contests often entail spectacles where rivals rent cars to mount raucous processions in the streets, offering cash and other inducements to voters. Behind the scenes, the struggle for victory can be intensely spiritual, with faith figuring in incidents ranging from ritual sacrifice to visits with traditional healers, according to Watira and others who spoke to The Associated Press. Watira, a leader of a group uniting Uganda's Bamasaba people, said the incumbent legislator who refused to shake his hand may have worried that would somehow give Watira the upper hand or provoke misfortune. Watira said he wasn't surprised by the man's behavior. 'The moment your mind is pushed to that level, everything which happens you will always be suspicious,' he said, speaking of overcoming his own fear of witchcraft. 'You will start imagining, and that is the biggest challenge in our society.' Spiritual warfare among politicians is part of a wider struggle over faith in Uganda, where Christianity is the dominant religion. Many who regularly attend church also secretly visit traditional shrines for the occult service they believe can lead them to victory. The syncretism has long confounded church leaders who teach that Christianity is incompatible with any vestiges of traditional religion, which remains widely practiced across sub-Saharan Africa. In African politics, often marked by bitter feuds along class and ethnic lines, fear of witchcraft can prove explosive. In South Sudan, Vice President Riek Machar believes himself to be the left-handed man with gapped teeth prophesied by a tribal seer a century ago as the unifying leader of his nation. There's widespread belief that the superstition fuels Machar's quest for power in South Sudan, which has been wracked by war since independence in 2011 as Machar tried to remove President Salva Kiir. In Kenya, some of the anti-government protesters who gathered last month in the capital, Nairobi, said the disorientation they felt while nearing the presidential residence was likely an evil spell in favor of President William Ruto. He also faces criticism for building a church within the statehouse compound that some critics see as an ominous shrine. In Zambia, two men are on trial for allegedly practicing witchcraft and possessing charms intended to harm President Hakainde Hichilema. Hichilema himself once was accused of practicing witchcraft by his predecessor Michael Sata, who contended the charms from his home region were stronger. In Uganda's capital, Kampala, and other cities, some street poles are plastered with notices by people promising to magically catch thieves or regain lost lovers. Now, many also advertise authority to secure politicians' victory in elections set for January 2026. 'Across all Ugandan communities there is a crazy reliance on the witch doctors, crazy reliance by politicians,' said Steven Masiga, a researcher and cultural leader in the city of Mbale. 'Witch doctors now are reaping money from politicians. Now, as politicians mobilize money, there is a percentage for the witch doctor because the real hope is in the witch doctor.' Many candidates feel that 'voters can oscillate around but the witch doctors never let you down,' he said. Masiga cited a politician in his area who years ago, urged on by a witch doctor, skinned a goat alive without slaughtering the animal. The witch doctor's client won the election. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in power for four decades and a candidate for reelection, has previously expressed his respect for African witch doctors, an often pejorative term referring to medicine men and women who prescribe herbs for ailments and others who claim to erase problems by magic. Some of these practitioners prefer to be described as traditional healers. In a speech last year, Museveni recalled jumping over a slaughtered chicken three times in the ritual he performed as the leader of the bush war that propelled him to power in 1986. Museveni said of traditional religion that 'it is very strong' and urged mainstream religious leaders not to antagonize its practitioners. 'We had a very good relationship with them,' he said of traditional healers. Many Ugandan politicians are believed to retain the services of witch doctors, but they rarely admit it in public to avoid ridicule. Some national leaders have been seen entering witch doctors' shrines over the years, drawing criticism from church leaders who condemn such behavior. In 2016, parliamentary speaker Rebecca Kadaga was photographed entering a shrine associated with her clan in eastern Uganda. The Anglican archbishop issued a rebuke; Kadaga, who has since left the speakership, said she sought to inform her ancestors of her political success. 'Who doesn't have an origin? Who doesn't have where they came from? Those are my roots,' she told reporters. In Mbale, where ritualized circumcision of boys underscores widespread belief in age-old customs, traditional healer Rose Mukite said she receives political clients from far outside her region. In her shrine, an igloo-like structure whose small entrance forces clients to kneel or squat to get in, she demonstrated her practice by shaking calabashes and tossing cowrie shells on the floor. A tobacco pipe is another tool of her trade; she blows smoke while divining the future. Mukite's career began in 1980 after being possessed by a spirit that she said she had to overcome to gain the spiritual authority she now claims. She offers her services for a small fee. 'I have many, many (clients),' she said. She said she helps some politicians by administering a tree bark to chew, potentially saving them from calamities such as imprisonment. If her practices were unhelpful, she said, she wouldn't still be at work after so many years. Sometimes it's too late, she said — politicians come to her when already doomed to fail. 'I can't say that I succeed with everything,' she said. 'Just like in the hospital when death comes.' Peace Khalayi, a Catholic running to represent the women of her district in Parliament, has fended off suggestions by supporters who want her to perform rituals they think can help her win. She campaigns among Muslims and Seventh-Day Adventists and would consider paying homage to a village elder. But a classic act in the practice of traditional religion, such as a requirement to sacrifice livestock, is unacceptable to her. She recalled instances where people urged her to consult a witch doctor. 'You tell them, 'We shall go.' You pretend that, yes, you have accepted. But you do not actually show up.' Still, Khalayi said she sometimes worries how her opponents could hurt her if she isn't sufficiently protected. 'Definitely the fear is there. That's no lie,' she said. 'When you have an opponent, you may probably want to be open with them, but it is just in us that you cannot openly engage with your opponent.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
