AFRICA/IVORY COAST - In view of the elections there is growing concern for children abducted for macabre rituals

Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - In view of the upcoming presidential elections to be held in the Ivory Coast in October, there is a growing concern for the kidnapping and murder of children for ritual purposes. According to information gathered by Fides, a previous wave of kidnappings took place even before the 2010 elections.
The fear of the population and the security forces is based on the fact that in the Country, leading producer of cocoa in West Africa, some businessmen and corrupt politicians rely on macabre rituals that they believe give them supernatural powers to win the elections. Since December more than twenty children have been kidnapped, and most have been found dead and mutilated. According to the locals we are talking about black magic, occult and mystical practices, carried out during ceremonies to receive the "energy" of the young victims, in order to obtain money and power. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 28/01/2015)