Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LIBREVILLE152
2008-04-01 10:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Libreville
Cable title:  

GABON: RITUAL CRIME ON THE RISE

Tags:  PHUM PGOV KPAO KCRM GB 
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PP RUEHBZ RUEHGI RUEHMA
DE RUEHLC #0152/01 0921006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011006Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0253
INFO RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA 1018
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 1446
RUEHBZ/AMEMBASSY BRAZZAVILLE 0879
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 0024
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0900
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0290
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0373
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0927
RUEHMA/AMEMBASSY MALABO
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LIBREVILLE 000152 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO KCRM GB
SUBJECT: GABON: RITUAL CRIME ON THE RISE

REF: 07 LIBREVILLE 0082

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SUMMARY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LIBREVILLE 000152

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO KCRM GB
SUBJECT: GABON: RITUAL CRIME ON THE RISE

REF: 07 LIBREVILLE 0082

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SUMMARY
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1. (U) The number of suspected ritual killings in Gabon is on
the rise ahead of scheduled April 27 local elections.
Members of civil society and some religious leaders have
denounced this practice. Government has had little to say on
the subject, however. There has been extensive coverage of
these incidents in local media, though no perpetrators have
been conclusively identified or prosecuted. END SUMMARY.

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On the Rise
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2. (U) As preparations for the April 27 local elections move
forward, Gabon is experiencing an increase in suspected
ritual killings. Although the government has not released
official data, the Gabonese NGO "l,Association de Lutte
Contre les Crimes Rituels" (ALCR) estimates that least 12
ritual murders occurred in February alone. While the numbers
cannot be confirmed, local press has reported several
gruesome discoveries of mutilated bodies found on the beach,
near other bodies of water or--in one instance--outside a
soccer stadium. Recently, a body of a teenaged girl was
found during daylight on the beach within a mile of the
Embassy. Among the many drivers that passed the body before
it was removed, an Embassy FSN investigator confirmed that it
had been mutilated.


3. (U) Ritual killings, often of children, occur in many
African countries. Some contend that the problem is
particularly concentrated in central Africa. Gabonese
observers report that the problem of ritual killings has
historically worsened in periods before elections. According
to local informants, ritual killings 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, tongue, and sexual organs) for the ceremony. The
victims are often children, but also include adults (reftel).


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Public Reaction
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4. (U) The Gabonese public has generally reacted with
revulsion to the latest upsurge in ritual crime. Some
religious leaders have spoken out, and the president of the
National Assembly condemned the practice when opening the
latest session of parliament on March 4. Other government
leaders have had little to say, however, and the police have
not been able to identify any suspected perpetrator.



5. (U) Some civil society groups have attempted to further
spotlight this problem and prompt government action. On
March 8 ALCR, accompanied by representatives from other NGOs
and religious organizations, organized a press conference to
condemn the practice of ritual crime and urge a more
effective government response. Some speakers at the press
conference attributed the silence by senior Gabonese leaders,
and the lack of government action, on the complicity by some
powerful individuals in ritual crime. Speakers alleged that
even when a perpetrator is apprehended, the powerful figure
commissioning the crime generally goes unpunished.


6. (U) The Embassy provided a small grant to ALCR in 2007 to
organize a one-day conference to draw attention to the
problem of ritual crime.


7. (SBU) UNICEF Country Representative Youssouf Abdel-Jelil
told the Ambassador that UNICEF would like to commission a
Situational Analysis of the problem in Gabon. He is looking
into funding for the Analysis, and would like to bring in a
non-Gabonese expert to team up with a Gabonese to conduct it.
Abdel-Jelil believes the study would help identify the
target population of the crimes, and the circumstances of the
abductions and the murders reported to date. With these

LIBREVILLE 00000152 002 OF 002


results, UNICEF would be able to inform and work with the
Government of Gabon on ways to halt the crimes. The
Ambassador urged the UNICEF rep to move quickly on the
Analysis, and advise the USG and other donors of its results.

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COMMENT
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8. (SBU) Ritual murder does not appear to be prosecuted as
vigorously, or at least not as successfully, as other types
of murder in Gabon. Like FGM and other negative social
practices, ritual crime can be combatted with effective local
leadership and sound strategies. We would be grateful to
hear from other posts who have participated in successful
strategies to combat ritual crime. End Comment.
REDDICK