In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, two women, aged 60 and 65, were publicly stoned and their bodies set on fire, as they were accused of practicing witchcraft and being responsible for several deaths, according to local reports on Monday.

The incident occurred late Sunday in the village of Nyamutiri in South Kivu, as detailed by Andre Byaduniya, the head of a local civil society organization.

Timothee Bakanirwa, an official from an adjacent region, mentioned that neither the police nor the army could intervene in time to rescue the two women, Barron’s reported.

Nelly Adidja, representing the Association of Women in Media (AFEM), expressed concern, noting that 33 women had reportedly been killed in South Kivu the previous year on charges of sorcery.

She added that many others had been forced to leave their villages due to similar accusations.

Written by B.C. Begley