UN and Witch hunts in Ghana

By Leo Igwe

The United Nations should use the visit to Ghana
of the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Ms Gulnara
Shahinian to shine international light on the menace of witch hunting in the
country and in other parts of sub Saharan Africa. Ms Gulnara Shahinian is scheduled
to visit Ghana from 22 to 29 November 2013.
The aim
of her visit is to ‘assess the situation on the ground with regard to
slavery-like practices’ in the country. According to a press release from her
office, Ms Shahinian will, during her
stay in Ghana, “explore strategies to address the current challenges in ending
such practices, including the use of the worst forms of child-labour in a
number of economic sectors, and other forms of contemporary slavery that are
often less visible such as domestic servitude, and those emerging from harmful
traditional practices,” Unfortunately, there was no mention of the harmful
traditional practice of witch hunting in Ghana and the plight of accused persons,
women, children and others internally
displaced due to witchcraft accusation in this west African nation. The UN
should break the silence on witchcraft related abuse in Ghana now!
Witchcraft is a way many people in contemporary
Africa interpret misfortune. And Witch hunting is still observed and ‘respected’
as a tradition in Ghana. Most victims of witch persecution lack protection
under the law in Ghana. When it comes to issues concerning witchcraft,
tradition trumps human rights. Suspected witches are attacked, killed or
expelled from their communities.
The UN Special Rapporteur should use her visit
to promote the campaign to end witch hunting in Ghana. The witch hunting situation
in Ghana is unique because the country has ‘safe spaces’ where alleged witches
take refuge. These places are called “witch” camps. They are not official
refugee camps. The ‘witch camps are makeshift shelters and part of the
traditional mechanism for managing and containing witchcraft accusations.
I urge the UN Special Rapporteur on
Contemporary Forms of Slavery to pay a visit to any of the ‘witch’ camps in
Kukuo, Gambaga, Gnani, Gushegu, Naboli, Kpatinga or Bonyase in Northern Region.
She should explore ways of getting the UN involved in providing humanitarian
assistance to victims of witchcraft accusation. In fact the UN special
rapporteur should get the UN to adopt these camps as refugee camps or camps for
internally displaced persons. Witchcraft is a traditional belief. And witch
hunting is a traditional practice of expelling and trying by ordeal persons
suspected of engaging in harmful occult practices. It is one of the issues Ms Gulnara
Shahinian should raise during her visit. The UN Special Rapporteur should
discuss with all stakeholders strategies of ending this obnoxious practice in
Ghana. The UN should help make witch hunting history in Africa!