Human Sacrifice

The violent and remorseless butchering of human beings, particularly young children; ostensibly for a ritualistic sacrifice is a profound and common place problem in Uganda today. The issue slowly became visible to the country when five year old Muhamed Shamin was murdered in a ritualistic sacrifice in 2004. Whilst between 2004 and 2006, these happenings seem to dissipate; cases are now being reported with frightening frequency, concentrated in the central region of the country.

Since 2006, one can find new stories of mutilated children on almost a weekly basis, with genitalia and tongues missing, indicating that these murders are not random attacks but orchestrated rituals.

Not only is this a growing epidemic in Uganda alone, but also across the continent. The severity of the problem is increased by the cultural sensitivity surrounding the issue, as to try and educate people against these practises is in effect directly challenging their belief system.

Equally, the Ugandan government in part lacks a definitive policy, with legal framework and legislation desperately needed in order to comprehensively address the problem.

As stated previously around 82% of Ugandan women and 75% of men visit traditional healers in an effort to eradicate the woes within their lives. The trust given to these so-called healers, leaves the demographic vulnerable in the face of these men, who launder vast sums of money from them. Through their practises the risk of HIV is alarming, because they often prescribe sex with a woman as the cure for her problems, or get the people they are meant to be helping to drink their own blood. This idea comes from the belief that they are somehow close to God, and their blood has healing powers within it.

In effect, the lack of coherent policy regarding the subject of human sacrifice and traditional healers means that conmen are free to roam the country, selling their services as an answer to life’s ills. The crux of the issues lie within the belief system which combines a strong Christian ethos, with that of witchcraft and shamanism. It is therefore decidedly difficult to address the issues regarding traditional healers without offending people’s belief system. However, the time has come for this epidemic to be addressed and without organisations such as RACHO, very little is being done to combat this ever growing problem. Therefore, against this alarming background, RACHO aims to sensitise the community about the effects of traditionalism through seminars, media, workshops and the release of literature. Awareness within communities of the potential harm from fradulent traditional healers needs to be addressed, so that people can see when they are being duped into making inadvisable life-changing decisions.

©Marco Vernaschi

It is due to these grim facts that it is imperative that RACHO comes out with a creative and practical strategy of proximately evaluating the problem of human sacrifice and traditional healing in Uganda. With this aim in mind, we then intend to not only put this process into practise within our work, but also to lobby the government to make much needed social reforms in light of this growing epidemic.