When Belief Becomes an Accusation

Introduction

Belief in witchcraft remains a powerful part of everyday life for many people in the Central African Republic. Within local systems of thought, witchcraft is often used to explain why misfortune strikes one family rather than another, why illness appears suddenly, or why an unexpected death occurs. These beliefs are not simply relics of the past. They continue to influence social relationships, local justice, and public life today. At the same time, accusations of witchcraft have become one of the country’s most sensitive human rights issues because they can lead to imprisonment, violence, social exclusion, or even death for those accused.[prison-insider.com]prison-insider.comAccusations, charges and convictions for these offences are numerous.Read morePrison InsiderCentral African Republic: witchcraftJuly 28, 2023 — 28 Jul 2023 — The penal code nevertheless criminalises certain practice…Published: July 28, 2023

For anyone interested in Central African folklore, this creates an important distinction. Witchcraft belongs to the country’s wider world of belief and tradition, but accusations of witchcraft are not merely stories. They can have serious consequences in the lives of real people. Understanding that difference is essential to understanding contemporary belief culture in the Central African Republic.[OHCHR]ohchr.orgaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksDecember 5, 2022 — Harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual att…Published: December 5, 2022

Misfortune and Hidden Power

Across Central Africa, including the Central African Republic, beliefs about witchcraft often centre on hidden forces operating behind visible events. Rather than asking only what happened, people may ask why it happened to a particular person at a particular moment. A sudden illness, a failed harvest, infertility, an accident, or an unexplained death can all provoke questions that go beyond physical causes.[Wikipedia]WikipediaWitchcraft in AfricaWitchcraft in Africa

Among Zande communities, whose traditions extend across parts of the Central African Republic and neighbouring countries, anthropologists have long documented systems of thought in which witchcraft helps explain misfortune while still recognising ordinary causes. A collapsing granary may have physical reasons for falling, but witchcraft may be seen as explaining why someone happened to be sitting beneath it at that moment. The belief is therefore less about denying natural causes than about seeking deeper social or spiritual meaning.[Wikipedia]WikipediaAzande witchcraftAzande witchcraft

This helps explain why witchcraft beliefs remain resilient even in modern settings. They provide a framework for discussing envy, conflict, social tension, and uncertainty. In communities facing poverty, displacement, armed conflict, or weak access to healthcare, explanations rooted in hidden power can become especially persuasive because they offer answers when other explanations feel incomplete.[OHCHR]ohchr.orgaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksDecember 5, 2022 — Harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual att…Published: December 5, 2022

Yet the same belief framework can become dangerous when suspicion shifts from an unseen force to a named individual. The search for an explanation can become the search for someone to blame.[OHCHR]ohchr.orgaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksDecember 5, 2022 — Harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual att…Published: December 5, 2022

Law, Prosecution and Harm

The Central African Republic is unusual in that witchcraft-related offences have remained part of the legal system. Human rights organisations and legal observers have repeatedly noted that accusations of witchcraft generate large numbers of prosecutions. Some reports have estimated that witchcraft-related charges account for a remarkably high proportion of criminal cases brought before courts.[The Borgen Project]borgenproject.orgThe Borgen Project Witchcraft in the Central African RepublicThe Borgen ProjectWitchcraft in the Central African RepublicFebruary 23, 2024 — 23 Feb 2024 — In the Central African Republic, up to 50%…Published: February 23, 2024

The difficulty, critics argue, is that allegations of supernatural harm are inherently difficult to prove or disprove through ordinary legal standards. This creates a situation in which rumours, fear, personal disputes, or community pressure can influence legal outcomes.[Prison Insider]prison-insider.comAccusations, charges and convictions for these offences are numerous.Read morePrison InsiderCentral African Republic: witchcraftJuly 28, 2023 — 28 Jul 2023 — The penal code nevertheless criminalises certain practice…Published: July 28, 2023

Those most vulnerable to accusation tend to be people who already occupy insecure social positions. Reports from legal aid organisations, international observers, and prison researchers repeatedly identify several groups at particular risk:

Accusations can trigger a chain of consequences extending far beyond the courtroom. Individuals may be beaten, expelled from their homes, abandoned by relatives, or subjected to public humiliation. Human rights bodies have documented such patterns across Africa and have warned that witchcraft accusations frequently become a gateway to broader abuses.[OHCHR]ohchr.orgWitchcraft and human rightsWitchcraft related beliefs and practices have resulted in serious violations of human rights including, b…

Women and children have drawn particular concern. Legal advocacy groups working in the Central African Republic have argued that prosecutions for witchcraft often intersect with gender inequality and child vulnerability, making accusations part of a larger pattern of discrimination rather than isolated incidents.[Avocats Sans Frontières]asf.beAvocats Sans FrontièresInternational Women's day: Gender and witchcraft in the…8 Mar 2022 — In the Central African Republic, the prose…

Why Fear Persists

One reason accusations remain influential is that they address fears that are emotionally powerful and difficult to resolve. Illness, death, economic hardship, and family conflict create a demand for explanations. When official institutions are weak or inaccessible, community narratives can become the primary way people interpret events.[OHCHR]ohchr.orgaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksDecember 5, 2022 — Harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual att…Published: December 5, 2022

The Central African Republic has experienced decades of political instability, armed conflict, and displacement. In such circumstances, uncertainty becomes part of everyday life. Belief systems that identify hidden causes behind visible suffering can therefore remain socially meaningful even when formal education, medicine, or legal institutions provide alternative explanations.[OHCHR]ohchr.orgaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksDecember 5, 2022 — Harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual att…Published: December 5, 2022

Importantly, this does not mean that everyone shares identical beliefs or that traditional ideas automatically lead to accusations. Many people who believe in witchcraft reject violence against accused individuals. The real problem emerges when fear, suspicion, and social pressure transform a cultural belief into an accusation directed at a specific person.[OHCHR]ohchr.orgaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksDecember 5, 2022 — Harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual att…Published: December 5, 2022

How to Write About Witchcraft Carefully

For readers exploring Central African folklore, witchcraft presents a challenge. It is both a traditional belief system and a contemporary social issue. Treating it only as folklore risks ignoring the real harm caused by accusations. Treating it only as a legal problem risks overlooking the cultural meanings that make the belief understandable to those who hold it.[OHCHR]ohchr.orgaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksDecember 5, 2022 — Harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual att…Published: December 5, 2022

A careful approach usually follows three principles.

First, distinguish belief from accusation. People may sincerely believe in witchcraft without supporting violence or persecution. Human rights concerns arise when accusations lead to punishment, exclusion, or abuse.[OHCHR]ohchr.orgaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksaccusations of witchcraft and ritual attacksDecember 5, 2022 — Harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual att…Published: December 5, 2022

Second, avoid presenting supernatural claims as established fact. Folklore researchers, anthropologists, and historians describe witchcraft as a belief, tradition, or explanatory framework rather than a demonstrable force.[Wikipedia]WikipediaAzande witchcraftAzande witchcraft

Third, recognise the human stakes. In the Central African Republic, witchcraft accusations are not merely legends told around a fire. They can shape court cases, prison populations, family relationships, and community safety. Understanding that reality is essential to understanding how folklore and everyday life continue to intersect in the country today.[prison-insider.com]prison-insider.comAccusations, charges and convictions for these offences are numerous.Read morePrison InsiderCentral African Republic: witchcraftJuly 28, 2023 — 28 Jul 2023 — The penal code nevertheless criminalises certain practice…Published: July 28, 2023

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to When Belief Becomes an Accusation. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

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Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande

By Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, Eva Gillies

Directly addresses Zande beliefs and witchcraft explanation systems.

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Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion

By Arthur C. Lehmann, James Edward Myers

Provides comparative framework for accusations and beliefs.

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The Witchcraft Reader

By Darren Oldridge

Places African cases within wider witchcraft studies.

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African Religions and Philosophy

By John S. Mbiti

Explores religious ideas underlying social beliefs.

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Browse more on Amazon:Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the AzandeMagic, Witchcraft, and ReligionThe Witchcraft Reader

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Endnotes

1. Source: prison-insider.com
Title: Accusations, charges and convictions for these offences are numerous.Read more
Link:https://www.prison-insider.com/en/articles/republique-centrafricaine-sorcellerie

Published: July 28, 2023

2. Source: ohchr.org
Link:https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/ie-albinism/witchcraft-and-human-rights

3. Source: ohchr.org
Title: accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks
Link:https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/PAP-Guidelines-EN.pdf

Published: December 5, 2022

4. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Witchcraft in Africa
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft_in_Africa

5. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Azande witchcraft
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azande_witchcraft

6. Source: Wikipedia
Title: www.whrin.org. Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network.Read more
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft_accusations_against_children_in_Africa

7. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Modern witch hunts
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_witch_hunts

8. Source: asf.be
Link:https://asf.be/international-womens-day-gender-and-witchcraft-in-the-central-african-republic-fighting-discrimination-against-women-and-children/

9. Source: borgenproject.org
Title: The Borgen Project Witchcraft in the Central African Republic
Link:https://borgenproject.org/witchcraft-in-the-central-african-republic/

Published: February 23, 2024

10. Source: ir.lawnet.fordham.edu
Link:https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1398&context=faculty_scholarship

11. Source: 101lasttribes.com
Title: AFRIC A | 101 Last Tribes
Link:https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/zande.html

Additional References

12. Source: europarl.europa.eu
Link:https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/note/join/2013/433714/EXPO-DROI_NT%282013%29433714_EN.pdf

13. Source: unhcr.org
Link:https://www.unhcr.org/in/sites/en-in/files/legacy-pdf/4d346eab9.pdf

14. Source: study.com
Link:https://study.com/academy/lesson/witchcraft-oracles-and-magic-among-the-azande-summary.html

15. Source: humanists.international
Link:https://humanists.international/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Report-to-ACHPR67_Witchcraft.pdf

16. Source: unicef.org
Link:https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/media/1326/file/%20Children-accused-of-witchcraft-in-Africa.pdf.pdf

17. Source: amnesty.org
Title: ghana witchcraft accusations
Link:https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/04/ghana-witchcraft-accusations/

18. Source: youtube.com
Title: Witchcraft Among The Azande | Disappearing Worlds (Full Documentary) | Timelines
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGSpr1_ixI

19. Source: youtube.com
Title: Meet the anti-witch hunter
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzBi8KVSwlY

20. Source: youtube.com
Title: Accused of Witchcraft and Murder: The British Farmer’s Tale
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOLHvIc_6Qw

21. Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12863508/