Kill the Witch! Anti-Witchcraft Violence in the Central African Republic

Varia
By Aleksandra Cimpri
English

Witchcraft is an integral part of the everyday life of the Central African population, as it is elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its presence is seen by the many as a real danger, because although witches operate in an invisible world, the consequences of their acts (misfortune and illness) are clearly visible. For this reason, they exert a form of violence on the local population. This psychological violence, which keeps populations in a permanent state of insecurity and danger, is indicative of a society in post-colonial crisis. In a context of social, political and economic crisis, of general impoverishment and development-related changes, social relations are woven around discourses, especially those involving accusations of witchcraft. Moreover, the brutality of the invisible world creates a fear that finds release through a physical brutality targeting the stigmatized person who is thought to embody the pervasive ill fortune, thereby acting as a scapegoat. Accusations of witchcraft in the context of the Central African Republic often lead to extreme violence, sometimes even the death of the alleged witch. This anti-witchcraft violence draws its justification from a broader context of struggle against witchcraft, particularly in courts of law and churches.

Keywords

  • witchcraft
  • violence
  • political
  • social and economic crisis
  • Central African Republic
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