In Africa, there’s a persistent belief among certain societies that the body parts of people with albinism bring luck and good fortune. Like animals, people with albinism, children being the most vulnerable, are hunted and killed for their body parts, which are often sold for thousands of dollars and trafficked across borders.
This practice is extremely prevalent in areas such as Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique. Body parts are particularly used in witchcraft rituals because of the belief that they can bring riches, success or power.
Amnesty International reported on Tuesday, International Albinism Awareness Day, that at least two people with albinism have been killed since January, and at least seven others were attacked with intent to murder or kidnap.
“I have received cases of attacks every single month this year,” Ikponwosa Ero, the United Nations expert on albinism said.
At least 20 people with albinism have been killed in Malawi since 2014 for the sole purpose to have their body parts harvested from them, according to Amnesty International. However, that number is likely higher due to the disappearances of many other people with albinism.
The danger has become so extreme that the U.N. refugee organization has been relocating families with albino members in Malawi to other countries, such as Canada.
Amnesty International has even started a petition to persuade the president of Malawi to help put an end to the vicious attacks and protect people with albinism.
In Malawi alone, there’s an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 people living with albinism. The recessive genetic condition limits the body’s production of melanin and as a result, skin, hair and eyes have little to no pigmentation. People with the disorder typically have pinkish skin and white hair. The dangers involved include skin cancer and eye damage.
Because people with the condition stand out among the rest, they are typically forced to hide inside their homes to avoid being attacked — or worse — abducted and slaughtered. But even inside their houses, they are still not safe.
Many homes are invaded and people are taken in broad daylight. Toddlers and young children are easily snatched away from their impoverished mothers. Male figures in the households are often implicated.
Sometimes, their bodies are discovered later with various body parts extracted from them, depending on the “spells” they are being used for.
The last known victim was a 9-year-old Malawian boy named Mayeso Isaac. He was traveling to visit relatives last month when a gang of 10 men attacked and abducted him. He has been missing ever since. It is feared that he has fallen victim to this now common pattern.
“When the wheels of Justice turn so painfully slowly, as they do in Malawi, and historic cases of attacks on people with albinism remain unresolved, it creates a climate of impunity and emboldens suspected perpetrators of these horrific crimes,” Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s regional director for Southern Africa, said.
