The Bougainville Witchcraft and Sorcery Debate

Record summary

Post-conflict Bougainville has been discussed in relation to sorcery accusations, customary authority, church practice, gendered violence, and the rebuilding of local justice institutions. The subject matters for esoteric-tradition research because occult explanations can become entangled with political legitimacy, trauma, and social repair after armed conflict. Available material includes journalism, civil-society reports, and broader studies of Papua New Guinea. Researchers should verify whether a source concerns Bougainville specifically or merely uses it as an example within national discussions of sanguma.