Witchcraft accusation of children (and also of elderly people) is ravaging the African continent like an epidemic. And Pentecostal pastors and ubiquitous men and women of God are the main culprits. They are spreading the disease of witch hunts and also exploiting the situation to their own advantage. These self-proclaimed emissaries of God and mouthpieces of the holy spirit are the continent's contemporary witch doctors. They exploit poor, ignorant, and gullible folks by getting them to believe that their problems are caused by witches and wizards in their families.
They incite the local population to accuse their families and community members of witchcraft and to blame them for being responsible for death, poverty, diseases, misery, or any form of misfortune they encounter or experience in their lives. These ragtag prophets or evangelists set up churches or prayer houses where they organize "deliverance" sessions. They subject alleged witches or wizards, which are in most cases vulnerable members of the population like children and aged persons, to torture and horrific abuses in the name of exorcism, as shown in this video clip from the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
And at the end of the ordeal, these charlatans extort money or compel the wretched parents or family members to pay for their "service". In Congo DRC, many children were orphaned by the war. And some of them (over 20,000 according to UNICEF) are victims of witchcraft accusation. This video clip is just the tip of the iceberg of atrocious acts and horrifying abuses by these hoodlums who claim to have the power to deliver children from witchcraft.
In part two of this article, I will discuss further abuses against so-called "witches" across Africa.
Leo Igwe is a skeptical activist in Nigeria and a former representative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. Currently, he is researching African witchcraft accusations at the University of Bayreuth in Germany. He is partnering with the JREF to respond in a more organized and grassroots way to the growing superstitious beliefs about witchcraft throughout the continent of Africa. More details on this collaboration will be announced in the coming week