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