By Garmah Never Lomo,garmahlomo@gmail.com
The Chairman of the traditional council of Liberia Chief Zanzan Karwor has promised to seriously go after Witchcraft by means of Sassywood in District#2 Grand Bassa County in the south of this country.
This controversial traditional
practice of Sassywood is trial by ordeal.
The practice is said to have started in Liberia many generations
back, and breaking this deep-rooted cultural belief remains a challenge, since
although it was banned by the Ministry of Justice a number of years ago, yet it
is still being practiced around Liberia..
The latest decision of the Chairman of the Traditional Council, Chief Karwor comes as a result of a resent “evil spirit attacks” on people in that part of the county.
Recently, a woman identified as Eve Togba was attacked by “evil spirit”, allegedly resulting into the death of her one-year-old child.
According to Eva, she observed an evil force fighting her to take away her child at night in her bedroom. She claimed that after the “evil spirit” jumped into a fight with her, she was finally overcome by its force and her child instantly died in the process.
Since then, similar incidents are said to have happened to over four people in the same community.
Chief Karwor, who is a veteran traditional soothsayer, said he will not sit to allow evil spirits attack on his people.
The head of the Traditional Council of Liberia lamented that he has noticed some evil people “throwing elephantiasis particularly (GO –Wah)” on people without reason in the District.
He vowed to do all he can to obtain a legal permit to carry out the Sassywood process in the District to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Studies show that around 40 per cent of Liberians are animists, with a similar proportion of Christians, many of whom would also profess beliefs in ancestral spirits.
The controversial practice of Sassywood provides for many a quick solution to crime. Many say they do not realize that they do not have to take part.