Some members of the Alleged Witches Reintegration Committee have paid a working visit to Alhassan Soale Bunyanso II, Chief of Kusawgu Traditional Area, in the Savannah Region.
The call on the Kusawguwura was to acknowledge and enhance the role he could play as a traditional leader in protecting the rights of women and children in the area.
The visit, coordinated by Action Aid Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), was to congratulate the Chief on his recent enskinment and solicit his support to curb issues of witchcraft accusations in society.
The Alleged Witches Reintegration Committee, established to institute measures to address witchcraft accusations, is made up of officials from the Ghana Police Service, Faith-based organizations, Ministry of Gender and Social Protection and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
It would also facilitate the reintegration of victims into their communities in the Northern, North East and the Savannah regions.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Emmanuel Holortu, Northern Regional Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service, said the Committee’s mandate was to ensure that persons accused of witchcraft were protected from discrimination while alleged ones in the various witches camps in the three regions were reintegrated into their communities.
DSP Holortu said, “the inhuman treatment of these alleged witches was not acceptable and we are calling on all stakeholders to support the course to end this canker.”
“We are not oblivious that witchcraft exists but persons accused of witchcraft should be handled with respect to their fundamental human rights in the country” he noted.
Madam Mumuni Alia, Action Aid programmes Manager in the Northern Region, said the call on the Chief was to acknowledge the role of traditional authorities in protecting the rights of women and children in their traditional areas.
She said over the years Action Aid and partners had worked in the area of promoting the interest of women and children, adding that, the Committee was one of the interventions to achieve the aim.
Kusawguwura Alhassan Soale Bunyanso II expressed gratitude to members of the Committee for the visit and pledged his support to help stop issues of witchcraft accusations in the traditional area and other parts of the country.
He said Kusawgu Traditional Council had designated a special chief to ensure all issues of witchcraft accusations and related matters were given the needed attention.
He said, “there cannot be any meaningful development where some women are treated in such a dehumanizing manner.
“My traditional area will have no room for people who treat alleged witches with no respect”, added.
