DHRF-FUNDED RITUAL CRIMES CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS TABOO

UNCLAS LIBREVILLE 000082 SIPDIS PARIS/LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER SIPDIS E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM SMIG PGOV OPRC EAID KCRM GB SUBJECT: DHRF-FUNDED RITUAL CRIMES CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS TABOO SUBJECT ¶1. Summary: Post used DHRF funds to sponsor a one-day conference on ritual crimes organized by the local NGO "L'Association de Lutte Contre les Crimes Rituels" (ALCR). The objective of the conference was to focus attention on ritual crimes in Gabon and help develop a plan of action to fight the practice. The event enjoyed wide media coverage, internationally and in Gabon. End Summary. ¶2. Background: According to experts at the conference, ritual killings of various sorts are not unknown in other parts of Africa, but appear to be most concentrated in the countries of central Africa. In Gabon, ritual killings continue to be a human rights problem. The victims are often children (of both sexes),but also include adults. Since 2002, the local NGO ALCR has documented forty-two ritual killings in Gabon; no one has been held accountable for any of the killings. ALCR is a grassroots NGO formed in 2005 by the parents of two twelve-year old boys found dead and mutilated on a Libreville beach. The NGO is committed to bringing justice to the families and victims of ritual crimes. ¶3. Ritual crimes are virtually a taboo subject in Gabon. They reportedly occur when a powerful and/or wealthy individual requests that a sorcerer or "fetisheur" carry out a ceremony to assure achievement of a desired goal (such as victory in an election). The fetisheur kills or contracts a killing to obtain body parts (generally blood, the tongue and sexual organs) for the ceremony. According to ALCR, because the killings are reportedly commissioned by influential individuals -- and because of secrecy surrounding fetish ceremonies -- the murders related to ritual crimes are left unsolved. ALCR believes that most ritual crimes occur in the periods before elections. ¶4. Program Summary: More than 300 people attended the one-day conference, which began with opening remarks by Ambassador Walkley, Paul Mba Abbesole (Gabon's Minister of Human Rights),and Jean-Elvis Ebong (the President of ALCR). The audience included judges, academics, religious leaders, former International Visitors (IV), international organizations, local NGOs, civil society, and the media. The conference centered around four main subjects - the origins of ritual crimes, practices, consequences, and prevention. The speakers included Makhily Gassama (Senegal's former Minister of Culture and former Central Africa UNESCO representative) and Sociologist Anacl Bissielo (a returned Transparency and Good Governance IV). The program was moderated by the head of the Omar Bongo University Anthropology Department, Bernadin Minko Mve. The presentations were followed by active Q&A sessions where members of the audience criticized the government and the judiciary for failure to end the practice and to bring those responsible to justice. ¶5. Conference Conclusions: At the end of the conference, ALCR presented a 7-point outline of steps planned to attack the practice. The steps include a caravan throughout the country and continued pressure on the police, gendarmes and Justice Ministry to bring those responsible to justice. The conference served as a venue for Gabon's civil society to open dialogue on a subject considered taboo, and gave the public an opportunity to express dismay at the government's handling of these cases. ¶6. Media Coverage: Post's Public Diplomacy section issued a press release and invited the international and local press to cover the event, which received wide print, radio and television coverage. Locally, TELEAFRICA, TV+, RTN, gabonews.ga, infosplusgabon.com and the paper L'Union provided extensive coverage of the conference. The international media - BBC, Radio France International (RFI),AFP, and Deutsche-Welle Radio - covered the event and broadcast interviews with Ebong and Bissielo. Gabon's most prominent political cartoonist, Lybek, published a cartoon in the national daily "L'Union" showing members of ALCR confronting the police and demanding justice for their family members. The cartoon depicts them being accompanied by an individual in a tie with an American flag on his sleeve--obviously a representative of the U.S. Embassy. ¶7. As follow-up, ALCR has produced a five-page report on the problem and summary of the conference findings. This report, together with transcripts of the media interviews, is being distributed to appropriate Gabonese government authorities, to embassies, to religious leaders and to human rights NGOs. WALKLEY