Nairobi/Banjul -  - Amnesty International called Wednesday on the Gambian government to halt a campaign against suspected witches that it says has seen up to 1,000 people kidnapped, poisoned and beaten.

Witnesses and victims told the human rights' body that witch doctors from neighbouring Guinea - accompanied by police, army and national intelligence agents - have been invading villages and seizing villagers accused of being witches.

Those taken are held at detention centres for up to five days and forced to drink an "unknown substance" that causes them to hallucinate.

They are then forced to confess to witchcraft, Amnesty International said.

Two people are believed to have died from kidney failure after drinking the concoction.

The most recent incident took place on March 9, when up to 300 people were taken to President Yahya Jammeh's farm to undergo the ordeal, Amnesty International said.

According to Amnesty International, the Guinean witch doctors were invited to The Gambia early this year when Jammeh began to suspect witchcraft was involved in the death of his aunt.

Jammeh, who came to power in a 1994 coup, has a reputation for erratic behaviour.

The president says he can cure AIDS with a herbal mixture and last year ordered all homosexuals to leave the West African nation or face beheading. (dpa)