WITCHCRAFT AND THE AVOIDANCE OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN CAMEROON

This article is concerned with belief in witchcraft among the Bangoua who live in one of the Bamileke chiefdoms in Cameroon. When politics and witchcraft are completely separated, witchcraft is entirely evil, and implies a conception of the personality as divided and irresponsible rather than unified and autonomous. This conception, which is very similar to the Lacanian 'split subject' of discourse, helps us to understand how a person accused of being a witch can be released from guilt by uttering an oath of ignorance. In this way, an accusation of witchcraft can be a means of settling conflict without physical violence.