Justice at the Margins: Witches, Poisoners, and Social Accountability in Northern Uganda

Abstract

Recent responses to people alleged to be ‘witches’ or ‘poisoners’ among the Madi of northern Uganda are compared with those of the 1980s. The extreme violence of past incidents is set in the context of contemporary upheavals and, in effect, encouragement from Catholic and governmental attitudes and initiatives. Mob justice has subsequently become less common. From 2006, a democratic system for dealing with suspects was introduced, whereby those receiving the highest number of votes are expelled from the neighborhood or punished in other ways. These developments are assessed with reference to trends in supporting ‘traditional’ approaches to social accountability and social healing as alternatives to more conventional measures. Caution is required. Locally acceptable hybrid systems may emerge, but when things turn nasty, it is usually the weak and vulnerable that suffer.

Keywords:

• Madi
• Uganda
• traditional justice
• witch-cleansing
• witchcraft

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tim Allen

Tim Allen is professor in Development Anthropology at the London School of Economics, and a Research Director of the Justice and Security Research Programme (JSRP). He has undertaken extensive ethnographic research in Uganda, South Sudan, and other African countries since the 1980s. This has mostly focused on health, healing, war, security, and justice.

Kyla Reid

Kyla Reid is a researcher based at the JSRP in the Department of International Development, London School of Economics.