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Witchdoctors get organ blame
05/04/2004 12:39 - (SA)
Maputo - The Mozambique Human Rights League (LDH) on Monday blamed foreign witchdoctors - mainly from west Africa - for recent killings possibly related to human organ trafficking.
"This phenomenon is new in Mozambique and could be linked to the proliferation of foreign witchdoctors in our country, but the government has simply turned a blind eye to this," said LDH chairperson Alice Mabota.
There has been a spate of killings in Mozambique's northern Nampula province for extraction of body parts - mostly genitals - believed to be used in witchcraft, which is widespread in several parts of the southern African state.
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Reiterating earlier statements by the Roman Catholic Church, the LDH insisted that reports of a child and human organ trafficking network operating in Mozambique, were true.
"Yes, there is a human organ- and child-trafficking network operating the country, all reports to the contrary are just aimed at deviating attentions," Mabota said.
Recently, assistant attorney general Rafael Sebastiao said a preliminary investigation into the allegations had found no evidence that human organs had been removed from bodies and sold.
He said a team of forensic specialists had spent two weeks in the area and examined 14 cases of violent death or disappearances supposedly linked with the sale of organs - but had concluded they were not the work of an organ-trafficking network.
But Mabota questioned the government's capacity to probe "such a complex issue", and called on the authorities to seek international assistance.
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