Albinos Face Life Threats In Tanzania

Yohana Bahati, aged one, went missing on Sunday after being snatched from their house and his body was discovered dumped in a thicket a few miles away from their home.

So far, police have arrested two persons in connection with the murder.

According to statistics, Tanzania has lost over 70 albino children in the last decade. These losses have been attributed to witchcraft activities especially in Northern region of the country.

Reports indicate that albinos are especially persecuted in Shinyanga and Mwanza, where witch doctors have promoted a belief in the potential magical and superstitious properties of albinos' body parts.

Last month, the Tanzanian government placed a ban on all witch doctors in the country.

The ban is part of a nationwide operation to clamp down attacks on people living with albinism.

According to a report by a Canadian organization based in Dar es Salaam Tanzania in April 2014, there were 129 killings and 181 attacks on people living with albinism in 23 African countries.

Other attacks included mutilation, violence, grave violations and cases of asylum-seeking.

According to Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer, an albino Member of Parliament, there are 6,977 officially registered albinos in Tanzania.

However, it is believed that there may be up to 17,000 others who are unregistered.

Most of them are now living in Dar es Salaam for it is safe in urban regions compared to rural.

The UN has condemned the attack and warned that 2015 could be a dangerous year for albinos.

It fears that the forthcoming General and Presidential Elections will cause some candidates to turn to influential witch doctors for help.

According to the Red Cross, witch doctors are prepared to pay 75,000 US Dollars for a complete set of albino body parts.

Tanzania is thought to have the largest population of albinos in Africa

Albinism is a genetically an inherited condition which is very rare and worldwide affects approximately one in twenty thousand people and quite common in sub-Saharan Africa.

By Musalia Wycliffe.

 

Tags:

Citizen TV citizen news albino Musalia Wycliffe

Want to send us a story? Submit on Wananchi Reporting on the Citizen Digital App or Send an email to wananchi@royalmedia.co.ke or Send an SMS to 25170 or WhatsApp on 0743570000

Leave a Comment

Comments

No comments yet.

latest stories