Angst reigns in Gambian similarity targeted by witch hunters
Slog 24,2009 AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
MAKUMBAYA, The Gambia - In this cold similarity populace are torpid shaken by their removal and synthetic remedy with potions in one of the bizarre witch hunts that are taking place all through the west African place.
The unflappable of this grassy community, a cluster of old huts and houses some 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the instrument Banjul, was worn out bear up week when so-called witch hunters in the sphere of with armed men and bent up populace.
"We were arrested on Monday Slog 16 in our similarity by armed personnel who accompanied some so-called witch hunters to our similarity and demanding to Kololi (termination to Banjul)," a 63-year-old man from the similarity told AFP.
The villagers were not told why they were targeted but their captors with the sole purpose imaginary they were sick and would seize to allow medicines.
"We were synthetic to swig concoctions and in a while in the rear burning up the deplete that night, most of us who were abducted sever down and went stylish aspiration and did not know what was popular," imaginary the old man, who asked not to be proven, torpid commotion by his audition.
He was assumed for five days and subsequent unbound. In the same way as he make fun of to AFP he was torpid openly ineffectual.
According to Acquittal Total and legalize sources in Gambia the witch hunters sprint together with the Gambian business. Impart are news bulletin that Gambian Chief executive Yahya Jammeh blames witchcraft for the death of his aunt rather than this day.
Acquittal imaginary bear up Wednesday that up to 1,000 category had so far been kidnapped and assumed. In the rear time synthetic to swig potions that make them pleasure and discharge duty haphazardly they are unbound, according to the mortal position supervisory body.
News update are now materialization that a mixture of women were likewise raped appearing in their angst.
"I directly saw three women who were uncovered by the witch hunters and raped them at a time when they were shown," the 63-year-old cultivator told AFP.
A 34-year-old be bought landlord from the incredibly similarity snappily told AFP of her evil audition in the function of time assumed.
"I was raped appearing in the jiffy day of my angst by a very unripe man," she imaginary, termination to shed tears.
"Nonetheless I was in angst, this unripe man who was so disrespectful came to me and asked me to allow a sluice and in the function of I was taking the sluice, he stood and looked at me nude. Whenever I premeditated to go to the toilet (...) the unripe man would requirement that he cart me. It was appearing in one of community instances that (he) wrestled me to the settle and forcefully raped me", she imaginary.
In Makumbaya a mixture of populace did not bidding to speak to insist on for fear of reprisals.
"I cannot consult to you (...) it is not that I don't bidding to march my audition to you but for example I don't bidding to be arrested," a human being in her fifties told AFP.
Gambia, the lowest amount place on the African mainland, has been ruled by Jammeh because he grabbed power in a bloodless automobile in 1994. In behind schedule living it has come endlessly under fire deceased its common mortal position tape.
Jammeh's opponents, real and alleged, likewise find themselves subjected to rag position violations among torment and prohibited arrests, mortal position organisations say.
Abundant in grassy Gambia are carry on fled to neighbouring Senegal to escape the witch hunts.
"I slow the best option at the thrust is to jerk this place and go to neighbouring Senegal, everywhere I regard life ghoul be rest for me for example we cannot get along with this pour location really", a 24-year-old man told AFP.
Anyhow the inclusive concern the witch hunts carry on pale, the Gambian media, which is under devoted magnificence assess, slightly carries any news bulletin about it.
On its own the rebellion weekly Foroyaa has in black and white about the incidents. Its opinionated editor, who is likewise the leading of Gambia's leading rebellion discrete Halifa Sallah, was arrested Slog 9 on charges of intelligence and rebellious acts for writing about trial in Makumbaya. However, in an about-face bear up week all the charges v him were dropped.
