27 August 2013 - Amidst a rising numbers of witchcraft cases in Mayom, Unity State, UNMISS held a legal awareness workshop there today for members of the local community.

The event, organized by the state Ministry of Local Government and Law Enforcement and UNMISS, was attended by 65 traditional chiefs as well as representatives of the government, military and community.

Some 40 people from the town are currently sitting in Mayom prison charged with witchcraft, which is considered an offense according to traditional law.

Witchcraft, or possessing magical powers (eg. looking at someone with an evil eye; cursing or threatening with misfortune) is not a crime according to formal South Sudanese law, although it is recognized as a meanace to communities.

As witchcraft is not a criminal (formal) offence, cases are brought to traditional courts and cannot be appealed in formal ones. Moreover, members of traditional courts (chiefs) are appointed by county authorities and unaccountable to the formal judiciary.

According to a Mayom resident James Majok, "magicians" are traditionally assessed by a recognized spiritual leader. If he judges the person to possess magical powers, he or she is asked to leave the community immediately.

During the workshop state legislative assembly members Peter Gatluak, Andrew Bol Nhial, Loang Tutthiang Luoy and Director General of the Ministry of Local Government William Thengjiek Toang stressed the need to employ accepted detention procedures, as customary courts are regulated by law.

They noted that, even in a traditional court, a person has the right to a fair trial – to call defense witnesses, cross-examine witnesses called by accusers and punishment proportional to resources and within jurisdiction of the court.

Traditional courts have no jurisdiction to send people to prison for more than 6 months, but all witchcraft cases have been sentenced to five years.

Participating chiefs emphasized that they were protecting the community by imprisoning "witches" for 5 years, as they allegedly kill people.

In closing, participants agreed on recommendations for the state government to ensure that proper customs were followed when dealing with witchcraft charges and to review the status of existing cases.