Posts by whrin_admin

Crimes, conflicts and courts: the administration of justice in a Zambian refugee settlement, November 2010

During a visit to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya in March 1996, a researcher came across three minors and a mentally ill woman, detained in two cells in the middle of the camp and guarded by a young man with a long whip. When the researcher raised the human rights implications of this situation with UNHCR staff, his concerns were “dismissed with the observation that ‘this is their culture.’” Yet the Sudanese Bench Courts in Kakuma, of which the detention cells were part, were originally funded by the Lutheran World Federation, an international NGO responsible for the management of the camp.

See full report here

Seeking meaning: an anthropological and community-based approach to witchcraft accusations and their prevention in refugee situations

An excellent overview by Schnoebelen has shown that accusations of witchcraft have occurred in many situations of concern to UNHCR, for example amongst internally displaced in Northern Uganda and in refugee camps and settlements from South Africa through to Chad (2009). Accusations against children in refugee and IDP communities have also been a focus of particular attention in a recent report (Bussein et.al 2011). However detailed anthropological accounts of such accusations are still rare in the refugee studies literature, exceptions being the discussion by Harrell-Bond of ‘poisoning’ amongst Ugandan refugees in Sudan (1986) and a paper by Golooba-Mutebi (2004) on accusations amongst Mozambican refugees and their South African hosts.
See full report here

Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, on her mission to Papua New Guinea (18–26 March 2012)

The present report contains the findings of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, following her visit to Papua New Guinea. The
Special Rapporteur examines the situation of violence against women in the country, including violence that is perpetrated within the family and the community; violence
occurring in institutional settings; and violence related to the development of the country‟s extractive industries. She discusses the State‟s legislative and institutional responses to such violence, and provides recommendations. Read the full report  here

India: Man killed over witchcraft charge

A man was killed allegedly for practising witchcraft in Gumla town late on Friday. When he was returning home on Friday evening, he was attacked by some fellow villagers, who hit him with an axe killing him on the spot. Read more here

India: Youth beheads aunt for ‘witchcraft’; surrenders before police

A youth allegedly beheaded his 62-year-old aunt whom he suspected was practising witchcraft against his family, police said today. Harishanker Singh Gond (35) of Pand village suspected his aunt Meeravati Gond had been harassing his family since long through witchcraft. Read more here 

Malaysia: Obsessive ‘witch’ mum ruins son’s marriage

Her distraught daughter-in-law, who wished to be known only as Maznah, claimed that her mother-in-law had crossed the line and was treating her husband like a lover rather than a son.

“She treats him more like her lover rather than a son by showering him with first-class treatment. She would shower him with endearments. Even though she has other children, she seems to pay more attention towards my husband,” she said. Maznah believed her mother-in-law was practising black magic, hence the influence she had over the son. Read more here 

Uganda: New movie to combat child sacrifice

It is not common for a professional filmmaker to come to Africa to do an advocacy movie.

Yet former Australian journalist and documentary director, Jo Wolfram Schefcik did it. While residing in Ntinda, Zainab Nassansa, a shopkeeper who was aware of his job, approached him with an idea. “She wanted me to make a real movie and already had the story outlined,” Jo says. Since the problem of child sacrifice was rampart at the time, Nassansa’s story was skewed to the topic. With the help of a friend Maribel Resty, Jo turned Nassansa’s story into a full-length movie script. Read more here

Nigeria: Lagos Superstar Pastor, Pastor Fireman Arrested Over Ritual Killing

Sign Fireman has been named in a ritual murder scandal involving a boy in his church who strangled a 12 year old teenage girl while trying to obtain feces from her for ritual purposes.

Pastor Fireman’s involvement in the scandal was made by the boy who was arrested by the police in Lagos. The teenage suspect stated during the parade that he was sent on the ritual mission by Pastor Fireman. Read more here 

Malawi: Being an Atheist in the midst of Malawian Witchcraft

This is an insight into being nonreligious in a very religious and superstitious context:

“My Christianity was one filled with fear. Fear of the forces of evil and darkness. You must understand that Africa with it’s rich customs and traditions come with a lot of superstitions. Mix that with Christianity and you get a totally messed up reality. Witchcraft being the paramount superstition. We often heard of confessions from ex-witches that speak of things that made me not sleep at night. This is not a my deconversion story but a summary of the things I believed and what other’s still believe from my friends to my family till this very day. I will provide many examples of how these superstitions are mixed with religion…” Read more here

Nigeria: Update On Pastor Sign Fireman’s Alleged Ritual Murder Case

Ikechukwu Egbo, who was arrested for raping and killing a 12-year-old girl, Bose Ogoja, in the Badagry area of Lagos, had claimed that he did so under the instruction of Pastor Fireman. He had said, “I attend Perfect Christianity Mission Headquarters around Ketu Street, Aguda, but I live with my parents in Badagry. I just finished secondary school and I have been very broke. So, I approached Pastor Sign Fireman for money, but he told me that I should strangulate a little girl. Read more here