As part of a witch hunt terrorizing the country, the Gambian authorities detained nearly 1,000 people, who were forced to drink hallucinogenic decoctions – informed Amnesty International (AI). The human rights organization called on the government of President Yahya Jammeh, who claims, that he can treat AIDS with herbs, to stop the hunt and judge those responsible. Gambia authorities began to invite healers from neighboring Guinea to fight native sorcerers, when the president's aunt died earlier this year, who believes, that her death was caused by witchcraft – says AI. Since then, healers assisted by the police, army, over 1,000 people were arrested by Jammeh's security agents and bodyguards, mostly older, which they accused of witchcraft. These people were held in secret camps and forced to drink a drink, after which they acted chaotically. Many of them had kidney damage, and two died. The detainees were forced to confess their spells and beat them unconscious. Most of the victims of the witch-hunt are released after 2 do 5 Days. However, many are frightened and afraid of extending repression.
There have been recent detentions 9 March in the village of Sintet. It was surrounded by policemen armed with rifles and shovels, who threatened, that they will bury everyone alive, who will try to escape. About 300 randomly selected men and women were taken by buses to the president's private farm. There, according to witnesses, they were stripped and forced to drink “dirty water” made of herbs. “Lots of these people, who were forced to drink herbs, got diarrhea and vomited while lying helpless” – witnesses report. Hundreds of people fled to neighboring Senegal, when their villages were attacked.
