CAMACUPA, Angola
About 50 people have died in Angola after being forced to drink an herbal potion to prove they were not sorcerers, police and local officials said Thursday. The deaths occurred between January and February near the central town of Camacupa, according to Luzia Filemone, a local councilor.
Police confirmed that 50
people had died.
Speaking to Angola National
Radio broadcaster, Filemone accused traditional healers of administering the
deadly concoction.
"More than 50 victims
were forced to drink this mysterious liquid which, according to traditional
healers, proves whether or not a person practices witchcraft," she said.
Belief in witchcraft is still common in some rural Angolan
communities despite strong opposition from the church in the predominantly
Catholic former Portuguese colony.
"It's a widespread
practice to make people drink the supposed poison because of the belief in
witchcraft," provincial police spokesperson Antonio Hossi told the radio
network, warning that cases were on the rise.
Angola does not have laws
against witchcraft, leaving communities to deal with the issue as they see fit.
Allegations of sorcery are
often settled by traditional healers, or "marabouts," by having the
accused ingest a toxic herbal drink called "Mbulungo." Death is
believed by many to prove guilt.
Last year, Bishop Firmino
David of Sumbe Diocese in Angola told ACI Africa that socio-economic challenges in the
country are forcing some to "resort to the practice of witchcraft because
they believe that with witchcraft, they can get what they want and thus free
themselves from poverty and get everything they need to survive."
Firmino encouraged his fellow
Angolans "to help rescue people who try to make a living from practices
that are harmful to society, including witchcraft and drugs."
During a 2009 trip to Angola,
Pope Benedict urged Catholics to shun witchcraft and sorcery.
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