Rising rate of Satanic child sacrifices worries Ugandan authorities

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Pastor Dale Morgan

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Mar 24, 2009, 6:04:17 AM3/24/09

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*Perilous Times, Witchcraft and the Occult

Rising rate of Satanic child sacrifices worries Ugandan authorities*

2009-03-24

by Ronald Ssekandi

KAMPALA, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A 12-year-old Ugandan girl fell victim
of Africa's long practiced satanic witchcraft over the weekend despite
of intensified crackdown operation, leaving police and authorities
determined to curb the vice across the east African country.

In the Saturday murder, Sylvia Kangume of Ntunda Children's Center
in the central Ugandan district of Kiboga was found dead with her
private parts removed, a replica of the various ritual murders witnessed
over the past months.

Her death was followed by another similar incident in Bugiri,
central Uganda, of which a three-year-old boy's private part was cut off
with a razor blade by a witchdoctor. The boy survived and is under
medical treatment here.

Moses Kafeero, the police spokesman for central Uganda told
reporters here on Monday that despite efforts to bring culprits to
justice, the crime mainly targeting children have continued to rise
countrywide.

Police's formation of a 15-man committee to strengthen
investigations into the disturbing pattern of child sacrifice is yet to
achieve much success.

"Our people still believe in witchcraft, we have talked, many people
have been taken to court but the problem is still with us," Kafeero said.

But the revelation of the crimes is more shocking and disturbing
that some parents or family relatives have been helping in the murder of
their children while police is urging parents to keep closer watch of
their children. According to the statistics, 18 suspected ritual murder
cases were recorded last year, of which15 were investigated.

Witchcraft involving child sacrifice is usually practiced for
bringing fortune, good health and so on in some African countries. Matia
Kasaija, Uganda's state minister for internal affairs recently said that
the fight against child sacrifice has been complicated by the increase
in other types of crimes targeting children like kidnapping, abduction
and child stealing.

According to the interior ministry, there were 230 such cases in
2006 while in 2007 they dropped to 108 but shot up to 318 last year.
While the country still ponders what to do to curb the vice, Ugandan
President Yoweri Museveni has suggested that those who are convicted of
child sacrifice deserved to be executed.

The Cabinet is expected to table a paper in parliament on steps
taken, which will be debated by legislators and used for finding a
common position. Meanwhile, Christian leaders are in their forty days of
fasting and pray in a nationwide campaign against human sacrifice, which
is named 'Weeping For Uganda's Children'.

Traditional healers, who many Ugandans blame for the act, going by
radio talk shows, have denied the claims and instead joined in the fight
against child sacrifice. As Ugandans still await effective measures to
be taken, it is believed that almost every week a child is being
sacrificed.