Kill Albino Attackers, Malawi Gov’t Orders

The order comes from Malawi's Inspector General of Police Lexen Kachama who instructed police to shoot any "dangerous criminals" caught abducting albinos.

"Shoot every criminal who is violent when caught red-handed abducting people with albinism," said Kachama.

"We cannot just watch while our friends with albinism are being killed like animals every day. We do realize that these people are ruthless, have no mercy and therefore they need to be treated just like that."

This comes even as violence against albinos in East Africa, whose body parts are used for black-magic, was reported to be on the rise in the recent months.

Police protection for Albinos

According to a United Nations report, at least 15 people with albinism, mostly children, have been killed, wounded, abducted or kidnapped in the past six months with a marked increase in Malawi, Tanzania and Burundi.

At least six attacks on albinos were reported in Malawi in January 2015 with gangs roaming the southern district of Machinga hunting for victims.

Tanzania has banned witchdoctors to try to stop the trade in body parts used in spells and charms claiming to bring luck, love and wealth.

Burundi is trying to safeguard albinos by accommodating them in housing with police protection.

A similar remark was made by Tanzania's Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda in 2009 when he urged citizens to kill anyone on the spot if they were found with the limbs or organs of albinos.

Albino rights group have called for greater protection of albinos but said killing suspects was not going to deter criminals offered large sums of money for securing body parts as they were likely to still take the risk for the promised reward.

Witchdoctors will pay as much as $75,000 for a full set of albino body parts, according to a Red Cross report.

By Musalia Wycliffe

Source: Reuters