Halt the practice of lynching suspected witches - OLAM-Kaana Manga

Navrongo (U/E), June 26, GNA - Our Lady of Mercy (OLAM) Kaana Manga Women Association in the Navrongo Municipality, has appealed to traditional rulers in the Upper East Region to revoke traditional norms that allows the lynching of women perceived to be witches.

In the month of June alone, three witchcrafts related lynching incidences have been reported in the region.

Two of the incidences occurred at Pelungu and Duusi in the Nabdam District and the third one in the Bongo District.

The women group who made the call during their quarterly meeting in Navrongo said they were worried about the emerging trend of lynching perceived witches in some communities.

'As custodians of tradition you can end this obnoxious tradition. This human right violation cannot be allowed to happen in this 21st century' the group said.

Whilst calling on the traditional authorities to help fight the canker, the group also appealed to the security agencies to deal swiftly with such cases when reported to them by bringing the perpetrators to book to serve as deterrent to others.

Mrs Victoria Asuliwono, the President of the group, condemned the negative cultural practice of creating camps for women perceived to be witches and isolating them as unfair and barbaric.

Mr Emmanuel Atiiga, the Project Director of Our Lady of Mercy Community Services (OLAMCS), commended the women for the various roles they play adding that they would be supported to intensify their advocacy programmes against negative cultural practices such as child and forced marriages.

He expressed worry about the spate of teenage pregnancies in the area saying his outfit with support from STAR-Ghana would support the group to increase and expand its activities to form more counselling centres and peer clubs in schools.

GNA

By Samuel Akapule, GNA