DHRF-FUNDED RITUAL CRIMES CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS TABOO

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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