NGO appeals to gov’t to promote violent free world

Madam Shani Kasiru, Programme Coordinator of Songtaba on Tuesday appealed to government and other stakeholders to work towards promoting a violent free environment for women and children staying in alleged witches’ camps.

She said children serving alleged witches needed to enjoy their rights to education and be free from stigmatization.

Madam Kasiru made the appeal during civil society organizations and local government officials’ forum on reintegration and disbandment of alleged witches’ camps, organized by Songtaba, a local NGO based in Bimbilla in the Nanumba North District.

The event was on the theme: “Alleged witches reintegration: our collective responsibility” and was supported by Action-Aid Ghana to discuss the way forward to solve the issues of alleged witches in the Northern Region.

She said the women in the alleged witches' camps needed to be empowered to enjoy their basic rights and participation in decision making in their community.

She said there was the need to disband the camps and end accusation of witchcraft in the region saying, "It will be important to ensure that those who accuse others of being witches should be made to proof the allegation".

Madam Kasiru said over 600 women were accused of witchcraft and about 500 of their dependants were living with them in the alleged witches' camps.

The alleged witches camps are in five districts in the Northern Region and these are Gnani in the Yendi Municipalilty, Nabuli and Kpatinga in the Gushegu District, Kukuo in the Nanumba South District and Gambaga in the East Mamprusi District and Bonyashe in the Central Gonja District and now, Lel Dabari also in Gushegu.

She appealed to the government and the law enforcement agencies to collectively devise ways of protecting the rights of the women and children in the witches’ camps if they cannot be immediately disbanded.

Songtaba is a non-governmental organization operating in the Nanumba South and Nanumba North districts with the objective of empowering women to enjoy their basic rights and participation in decision making in a violence free environment.