Posted by
InchDeep on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 2:36:47 PM
How Backwards is this. From www.alarabiya.net. Seems more like they like to burn old people. I am sure the AARP will be right on this one.
Burnt alive in their homes
Kenya mob burns 11 "witches" to death
NAIROBI (Agencies)
A mob
tied up at least 11 people accused of witchcraft and burnt them to
death in a remote village in western Kenya, police said Wednesday.
Police were on patrol in the village of Nyakeo to prevent revenge
attacks after eight women and three men, 10 of them aged between 70 and
90, were lynched and burnt to death on Tuesday, spokesman Charles Owino
said.
"Their houses were torched. Eight women and three men suspected of
being witches died," Kenya's deputy police spokesman Charles Owino said.
Kisii
district residents confirmed the killings, saying an enraged crowd had
gone house-to-house on Tuesday night, using a list of supposed witches
in the region.
About 30 houses were torched.
Police chief Kibuchi said the villagers had recounted holding a meeting
in Nyakeo earlier on Tuesday to try and dissuade those who wanted to go
ahead with the killing.
Five of the victims had supposedly "confessed" at this meeting to practicing witchcraft and had begged for mercy, he said.
Traditional African beliefs, Christianity and Islam co-exist peacefully
in Kenya. But there is widespread suspicion of sorcery, particularly in
west Kenya, which has a long tradition of witch doctors and faith
healers.
In 1993, eight elderly people from Kisii were also accused of witchcraft and burned to death in their huts by a mob.
Several cases have also been reported in recent months in neighboring
Tanzania, forcing President Jakaya Kikwete to order special protection
for albinos, who were murdered and mutilated for good luck by
witch-doctors.