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Africa News of Saturday, 11 January 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Group calls for protection of witches in Africa

Group set out to protect witches in Africa Group set out to protect witches in Africa

A witch protection group, Advocacy for Alleged Witches, has taken steps to prevent African witches from wrongful persecution.

The group is set to run a ten year activism course against witch persecution in Africa from 2020 to 2030.

According to SaharaReporter, the main objective of the initiative is to create a witch hunting free Africa by sensitising Africans.

AfAW said it will keep Africa updated with latest news on accused witchcraft, intervene to protect alleged witches, and also educate accusers, amidst others.

In a statement, initiator of the campaign, Leo Igwe, disclosed that the organisation will also lobby local, national and regional and global institutions in tackling abuses that are linked to witch persecution and witch hunting.

He said, “The organisation will also cooperate with institutions with similar aims and objectives, organise public education and enlightenment campaigns to reason people out of the misconceptions that drive witch persecution and other harmful traditional practices through trainings, workshops and seminars for various interest groups.

“AfAW’s campaign is founded on the principles that witchcraft is a myth and an imaginary crime which no one commits, attributions of causing harm through occult means are based on hearsay and misinformation, panic and anxieties, fear and superstition, witch persecution, killings and trials are forms of human rights abuses that should not be tolerated in the name of religion, culture or tradition.

“I urge all Africans including those in the Diaspora to join efforts with us to achieve this important objective.”