African leaders have been accused of trampling on the human rights of hundreds of marginalised people, mostly elderly women, who have faced accusations of “witchcraft.”
In a new scathing report, Amnesty International zooms in on parts of Ghana, underscoring harrowing accounts of ritual attacks and social ostracisation that have driven vulnerable people out of their homes and communities for fear of their lives.
Information on the “Branded for Life” Report
The report titled “Branded for Life” finds that some Ghanaians are still thought to be witches, particularly in the north and north-eastern regions of the country. The allegations are sometimes based on little or no evidence or simply because of social problems.
“The accusations, which can lead to threats, physical attacks or even death, usually start within the family or among community members following a tragic event such as an illness or a death,” Amnesty said.
The organisation further stated, “Older women living in poverty, with health conditions or disabilities are at greater risk, as well as women who do not conform to stereotypical gender roles. In some cases, accusers even base their claims on having had a bad dream about a person.”
The victims, almost all of them elderly women, have no one else to turn to after being discarded by their families and communities. Those accused of witchcraft are forced to seek refuge in camps run by traditional priests. They remain trapped in these encampments until they die or another community accepts them.
Horrific conditions in “witch camps”
Though these camps offer some protection from actual physical attacks, they are also said to be places of bad living conditions and lack of resources, and serve to further segregate and ostracize the accused.
“The presence of these camps is a damning indictment of the state’s failure to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of all its people, regardless of their age or sex,” said Amnesty International.
Criticism of Law Enforcement and Cultural Beliefs
Amnesty said that Ghana had not done enough to protect victims and to raise awareness among people in high risk communities.
It also said that the government had failed to “ensure access to adequate food, safe housing and clean water” for victims in these camps.”
The international organization’s findings indicate issues at multiple levels. Law enforcement is criticized for not adequately preventing such attacks and being sluggish in launching an investigation and prosecuting someone who engages in one.
Finally, the report further explains that deeply ingrained traditional and cultural beliefs should not be reinforced by public education and awareness campaigns, and the need to eradicate harmful superstitions and cultivate acceptance is not being met.
Recommendations of Amnesty International
Amnesty International urges the Ghanaian government to end this human rights crisis by ending impunity, and hatred – as it did when it accepted the human right of sexual orientation in 2011. They recommend strengthening legal frameworks to protect those accused of witchcrafts. The rights group is calling on policymakers to shut down “witch camps” and offer safe, dignified avenues for residents to go home. They also demand that their national campaigns challenge harmful beliefs and include promoting respect for the rights and dignity of all people.
The Human Rights Body is also calling on the international community to step in to support Ghana in the face of the threat and to hold accountable for the violations that are being committed daily.
“Ghana has a duty to uphold its international human rights responsibilities and guarantee the safety and security of all people, including the most marginalised and at-risk groups of people in society,” the report said.
New Accusations, Government Silence
Amnesty International on its part put out a damning report, one of their latest on the Ghanaian government’s will towards its people and a breach of the rights of persons accused of witchcraft. But the government did not immediately address the new specific allegations regarding the many human rights violations of people accused of witchcraft.
The silence echoes how elected officials in the past have responded to claims of human rights abuse: they have not openly denied them but they are keen to emphasise that they are acting within the confines of their own narrow interpretation of the law.
Previous Government’s Position and Actions
Ghanaian government officials had previously acknowledged the concerns raised by Amnesty but said the authorities were committed to upholding the human rights of all citizens.
They are still struggling with witchcraft accusations and the security of vulnerable populations in the existing legal and social systems.
According to policymakers, these harmful traditional beliefs “do not reflect the general society” in Ghana. In this regard, the government is engaging with our communities and traditional leaders to end the acts, and provide support to survivors.
They have also acknowledged the challenge of balancing long-held cultural traditions with the exercise of individual rights, while also insisting they would investigate allegations of abuses and strengthen social safety nets for marginalized groups.
In 2023, the parliament of Ghana enacted a law criminalizing the declaration, accusation, naming or labeling of an individual as a witch but the bill is still awaiting signature.
Widespread Belief and Deadly Consequences Throughout Africa
Attacks like these happen elsewhere in Africa.
Last year, an accusation of witchcraft in Guinea Bissau led to the deaths of two sick boys after a group of eight women was forced to drink poison.
That same year, two women in their sixties found guilty of witchcraft were publicly stoned to death before their bodies were burnt in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They were charged with the deaths of multiple victims.
Accusations of witchcraft are common in some communities along the west African coast, including Ghana and other parts of Africa. Earlier this year two men in Zambia were arrested on witchcraft charges for possession of charms that they intended to use to harm the country’s president.
In parts of rural Angola, witchcraft is tolerated despite strong objections from the Catholic Church in the former Portuguese colony. Last year, about 50 people died after authorities allegedly forced them to drink an herbal potion in what was described as a test to clear evidence that they weren’t sorcerers.
Pope Benedict XVI said on a visit to Angola in 2009 that Catholics should refuse witchcraft and sorcery.
Africa’s Human Rights Crisis: The Curse of “Witchcraft” Accusations
The Amnesty International report on Ghana, along with other organizations, sadly underscores the continuing crisis of witchcraft accusations and human rights violations taking place in certain parts of Africa.
Africans must face this problem as a matter of immediate concern grounded in international human rights law. Authorities are accused of not protecting these people — “older women in particular” — from violence, discrimination and displacement.
These allegations amount to a direct breach of the fundamental human rights to life, security of person, dignity and equality before the law, articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which are both universal instruments binding on all countries, including those in Africa.
Moreover, the reported conditions of “witch camps”, and where their living conditions are described as deplorable, a failure to provide food, accommodation and water highlight serious concern in respect of a failure to uphold economic and social rights as contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Although specifically, this report focuses on Ghana; the significant driven violence and neglect are not limited to Ghana and has been noted in similar patterns in other African nations, which are deep-rooted and demand a unified response based on rights of the people, particularly the vulnerable communities and groups.
SOURCE: Links to Amnesty International report
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/04/ghana-witchcraft-accusations/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2025/04/ghana-branded-for-life/ links to the international human rights instruments mentioned:
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR):
https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-ec onomic-social-and-cultural-rights
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR):
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR):
https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-ci vil-and-political-rights
Nana Karikari, Senior International Affairs and Political Analyst
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