Time to Strike Uganda off the potential Vacation Spot List

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**Frazzled**

Yikes! Suddenly a trip to see the inlaws doesn't sound so bad...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/uganda/6944292/Human-sacrifices-on-the-rise-in-Uganda-as-witch-doctors-admit-to-rituals.html

Human sacrifices 'on the rise in Uganda' as witch doctors admit to rituals
Witch doctors in Uganda have admitted their part in human sacrifice amid concerns that the practice is spreading in the African country.

Published: 6:00AM GMT 07 Jan 2010

One man said he had clients who had captured children and taken their blood and body parts to his shrine, while another confessed to killing at least 70 people including his own son.

The latter has now given up the ritual and is campaigning to stamp it out, according to BBC News.

The African country's government claimed human sacrifice was on the increase.

According to officials trying to tackle it, the crime is directly linked to rising levels of development and prosperity - and an increasing belief that witchcraft can help people get rich quickly.

During its investigation, to be broadcast on Thursday on Radio 4 and Newsnight, the BBC team witnessed anti-sacrifice campaigners torching the shrine of a witch-doctor in northern Uganda, who agreed to give up the practice.

He said clients came to him in search of wealth.

"They go and capture other people's children. They bring the heart and the blood directly here to take to the spirits," he said.

"They bring them in small tins and they place these objects under the tree from which the voices of the spirits are coming."

The witch doctor, who said he was paid 500,000 Ugandan shillings (around £160) for a consultation, denied any direct involvement in murder or incitement to murder, saying his spirits spoke directly to clients.

Moses Binoga, the assistant police commissioner who is head of the Ugandan anti-human sacrifice and trafficking task force, said there were 26 murders thought to be part of ritual sacrifice last year compared with three cases in 2007.

"We also have about 120 children and adults reported missing whose fate we have not traced," he added. "From the experience of those whom we recovered, we cannot rule out that they may be victims of human sacrifice."

Crossing Continents - Uganda: Battling the Witch-Doctors will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 11am on Thursday.

Newsnight - Uganda: Battling the Witch-Doctors will be screened on BBC2 at 10.30pm

**Albatross**

Uganda is a gak hole, as is most of Africa, by the looks of things. It definitely tops my list of continents I would never want to visit in a million years. Elephants or no elephants.

**Frazzled**

We kind of knew that, but er, human sacrifice?

**Albatross**

Man, we've heard about all sorts of crazy gak over here - they come to the UK and do it here too. There have been a few cases of kids beeing beaten, starved and tortured for being 'witches'. fething savages.

**Tyyr**

You mean vacationing in Uganda was an option at some point?

**Pipboy101**

Wow, just wow.

**FITZZ**

I have a friend who grew up in one of New Orleans roughest neighborhoods,people got shot their daily.
She recently visited Africa as part of her Anthropalogical studies.
Upon returning she told me she would sooner run threw the streets of her old neighborhood bare naked waving handfulls of hundred dollar bills than ever return to Africa.
I decided at that point I would refrain from visiting that particular continent.

**Altered_Soul**

When the most organized and morally correct authority figure in most of Africa was Executive Outcomes, that sealed my particular lack of care for visiting.

**Deff Dread red Edition**

It is rather sad, for a continent that has a lot to offer, we sure have screwed it up. Endless wars, corrupt governments and so on, ah Africa.

On the subject of ritualistic killings, I have noticed that it has become quite bad here as well. It is not oft reported on these days, but we had quite a lot of news stations doing reporting on it early in 2009(might have been late 2008, can't remember right now), although it was muti murders it was just as bad.

**Cane**

You guys are just now crossing Uganda off of potential vacation spots?

I suppose you guys haven't heard or seen:

What started out as a filmmaking adventure transformed into much more when these boys from Southern California discovered the untold tragedy of Uganda. This tragedy revolves around Africa's longest running war, where children have become the victims and the weapons. Rebel armies, known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), have been abducting children and using them as troops while they wage war against the Ugandan government. This originally caused the children to night commute, or walk miles nightly to avoid these troops. It is estimated that 90% of the LRA is abducted children. The film tells their story

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Children

As for visiting Africa, I still wouldn't mind taking a trip to Egypt and check out the pyramids and try out some of the local hookahs.

**HiveFleet**

Ironic how the cradle of mankind is now the armpit of civilization...

I would have thought that 8 million years of evolution and 10,000 years of civilization would have improved some things, but it is still the same old mucking around with entrails for their daily horoscopes.

**dogma**

Albatross wrote:Uganda is a gak hole, as is most of Africa, by the looks of things. It definitely tops my list of continents I would never want to visit in a million years.

South Africa is nice, so long as you happen to be any color other than black. Apparently Nigeria isn't too bad either.

**Frazzled**

dogma wrote:
Albatross wrote:Uganda is a gak hole, as is most of Africa, by the looks of things. It definitely tops my list of continents I would never want to visit in a million years.

South Africa is nice, so long as you happen to be any color other than black. Apparently Nigeria isn't too bad either.

Nigeria has active guerilla activity, kidnapping, and the occasional bit of religious persecution, just FYI.

**reds8n**

FYI

DISCUSS UGANDA - "vb. British. to have sex. A euphemism coined in the 1970s by the British satirical magazine 'Private Eye.' It has become one of the magazine's long-running jokes and is said to stem from a party at which a female journalist was alleged to have explained an upstairs sexual encounter by saying 'We were discussing Uganda.' (Idi Amin's regime was in the news at the time.) The term 'Uganda Affairs' is also derived from this source." From the "Dictionary of Contemporary Slang" by Tony Thorne (Pantheon Books, New York, 1990).

So you've all just done that with Mr. Frazzled... how's them apples eh ?

**Frazzled**

NOOOOOOO!!!!

You willll payyyyyyy

**dogma**

Frazzled wrote:
Nigeria has active guerilla activity, kidnapping, and the occasional bit of religious persecution, just FYI.

The religious persecution essentially ceased in the late 90's after a government crackdown. The guerrilla activity has been largely quiet since the government offensive in May. And there haven't been any special incidences of foreign kidnap victims since 2006.

**Deff Dread red Edition**

Yeah but they have really good security Frazz...

(My lame attempt at humour aside)

I do agree that South Africa can be an ok tourist destination, depending on what you see and do here(Krueger park is always rather nice to visit). We have had a terrible wave of violent crime lately though.

**Frazzled**

dogma wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Nigeria has active guerilla activity, kidnapping, and the occasional bit of religious persecution, just FYI.

The religious persecution essentially ceased in the late 90's after a government crackdown. The guerrilla activity has been largely quiet since the government offensive in May. And there haven't been any special incidences of foreign kidnap victims since 2006.

1. persecution hasn't stopped. Our missionary have continuing tales of fun things like burning tires.

2. In May-dude thats LTM.

3. More since then. All of my clients had to eventually pull out because of the kidnappings. Nothing like guerrillas seizing workers on offshore platforms. WTF!!!!

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Deff Dread red Edition wrote:Yeah but they have really good security Frazz...

(My lame attempt at humour aside)

I do agree that South Africa can be an ok tourist destination, depending on what you see and do here(Krueger park is always rather nice to visit). We have had a terrible wave of violent crime lately though.

i am stealing this.

**dogma**

Frazzled wrote:
1. persecution hasn't stopped. Our missionary have continuing tales of fun things like burning tires.

Persecution never stops. Its simply a question of degree. There haven't been any significant religious conflicts in 5 years.

Frazzled wrote:
2. In May-dude thats LTM.

There are militant movements in most non-Western, developing nations. This one just happens to be gradually coming under control.

Frazzled wrote:
3. More since then. All of my clients had to eventually pull out because of the kidnappings. Nothing like guerrillas seizing workers on offshore platforms. WTF!!!!

Yeah, I read about the disputes with the oil workers union. That said, Nigeria has only slightly more kidnappings per 1 million residents than South Africa (.264 vs. .248). Of course, that may also be a reflection of poor judicial practices. Though, given the rate of report in places like Mexico, and Colombia (11.948, and 120.617 respectively) that seems unlikely. Significantly higher than Western states (Italy, and Germany are the worst offenders with something close to .03 per million) it isn't that high when compared to other developing nations (see South Africa).

**Orkeosaurus**

Cane wrote:You guys are just now crossing Uganda off of potential vacation spots?

I suppose you guys haven't heard or seen:

What started out as a filmmaking adventure transformed into much more when these boys from Southern California discovered the untold tragedy of Uganda. This tragedy revolves around Africa's longest running war, where children have become the victims and the weapons. Rebel armies, known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), have been abducting children and using them as troops while they wage war against the Ugandan government. This originally caused the children to night commute, or walk miles nightly to avoid these troops. It is estimated that 90% of the LRA is abducted children. The film tells their story

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Children

But now the child soldiers will be able to defend themselves against the witch doctors.

**Wrexasaur**

Frazz wrote:I am stealing this.

Never seen that before eh?

Just for you mate, I am sure you can find a use for this one.

**Albatross**

Watch Ross Kemp In Search Of Pirates - Nigeria doesn't look like the sort of place you would want to go on holiday to either.

**reds8n**

It's generally advisable to avoid anywhere Ross Kemp is.

**Oldgrue**

Jeez. Its getting to be where we shouldn't visit countries ending in A....

**Wrexasaur**

Don't like 2/3 of the countries on the planet have names that end in A?

The list is endless...

.

Note'

"AmericA"
"U.S. of A"

Hmmm....

**Oldgrue**

And so many of them are simply unpleasant places!

**Albatross**

@Wrex - Exactly. What's your point?

**squilverine**

Africa is a very stragne place, with countries varying hugely. The north appears to be the most stable part, places like Egypt, Tunisia and Morroco are realy popular with UK tourists, then you have places like South Africa and Kenya, which are fine in places as long as you stick with your guides. The rest of the countries are in a very sorry state, once the colonial powers (Britain, France and Germany) gave power back, it was only a matter of time before deep rooted tribal grudges reared there ugly heads and everything devolved into chaos. Still if it wasn't for crazy Africans where would we get half of our premiership footballers and images like this...

**Orlanth**

squilverine wrote:

Nah, you dont know Africa. Stealing a wheelbarrow is Grand Theft Auto Sudan, Somalis tend to go for ships.

Frazzie wrote:
Re:Time to Strike Uganda off the potential Vacation Spot List

That says a lot, for Uganda to only get taken off the holiday list yesterday can only mean that the Americans have finally found the place on a map, perhaps about Thursday +/- one day.

**Hordini**

Orlanth wrote:

Frazzie wrote:
Re:Time to Strike Uganda off the potential Vacation Spot List

That says a lot, for Uganda to only get taken off the holiday list yesterday can only mean that the Americans have finally found the place on a map, perhaps about Thursday +/- one day.

O RLY? If I had a nickel for every European I met who thought the U.S. has 52 States, I could probably buy a plate of fish and chips and mail it to you. I bet it wouldn't be very delicious by the time it got there though.