(Photo courtesy of Every Child Ministries)
Uganda (MNN) ― As famine looms in Uganda, child sacrifice is on the rise. The crisis hits the poorest living in the north and east, fueling the demand for the rituals.
A police report confirms 23 deaths since the beginning of the year. One child abuse worker helping ANPPCAN Uganda says while child sacrifice used to occur mainly in the Ugandan central region, unemployment and poverty have given way to a new kind of witch doctor who practices in a wider geographical area.
Lee DeYoung with Words of Hope agrees and notes a startling trend: "The numbers have increased, and at least in some cases, those have been the bodies of children of believers."
Christian radio broadcasts have contributed to the growth of the church. DeYoung says, "The church is being mobilized to speak against this terrible evil. When a child is executed in this kind of ritual sacrifice fashion, it is a violation of Ugandan law. However, human trafficking is less clearly prohibited in the legal code."
The rise of the grisly practice has been slow, but steady. According to government reports, last year ritual ceremonies linked more than 300 cases of murder and disappearances. Only a handful of perpetrators were found.
This year, DeYoung says there's an increasingly aggressive presence of witchcraft. The government appointed a specially trained police task force on human sacrifice. Since then, there have been 15 more murders. The slayings were linked to human sacrifice. That concerns police, who are investigating another 200 disappearances.
DeYoung urges prayer. This troubling circumstance is more than a gauge for socio-economic performance. It's warfare. "It does seem that where the Gospel is spreading, the enemy retaliates. We need to be in prayer that those who experience this may be able to respond, may be able to persevere, and that the Lord's provision will prevail."
