UGANDAN troops have been deployed in parts of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to end a witchhunt which has seen an estimated 800 people hacked to death, an army representative said on Thursday. Lieutenant-Colonel Phinehas Katirima said Ugandan army units in DRC had arrested over 70 people accused of involvement in the witch-hunt. They were to be charged in a bid to deter others. The lynchings, targetting villagers accused of using special charms to kill fellow villagers, usually follow “confessions” obtained through torture. – AFP
Thursday July 12, 2001
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