By Jonathan Flynn Albino people in Africa are being hunted and mutilated because of superstitious beliefs that their body parts have magical powers. A Malawi High Court has recently convicted 12 individuals, including a catholic priest and a police officer, of charges relating to the kidnapping, mutilating and selling of a 22-year-old Albino man’s organs and limbs. This is just one example of hundreds of cases in which Albinos are being hunted like animals and persecuted due to superstitious beliefs. Source: listverse Albinism is a genetic disorder which prevents the production of melanin, leading to a lack of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes. Unfortunately, the prevalence of albinism in sub-Saharan Africa is significantly higher than in many other regions of the world. While global estimates hover around 1 in 17,000 to 20,000, certain pockets of Africa, especially Tanzania, report occurrences as high as 1 in 1,400. The World Health Organization has emphasized the dire health implications for Albinos in this region, with skin cancer being a formidable adversary. However, the Albino population faces a much more sinister struggle. In specific areas of Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique, deep-rooted beliefs persist that the body parts of Albinos, when used in witchcraft rituals, potions, or talismans, can usher in wealth, power, and good fortune. Such superstitions have given rise to a macabre black market in these southern regions. Middlemen, witch doctors and shamans have been known to place high prices on Albino body parts, making them lucrative commodities. A complete set of Albino organs in Tanzania can be priced as high as $75,000, with an alive Albino priced upwards of $300,000. The high value placed on these human lives makes the hunting of albinos one of the most lucrative and harmful forms of human trafficking. Reports from both the United Nations and various human rights organizations have consistently shed light on the frequent and brutal attacks against Albinos. Abductions, especially of children perceived to have ‘purer’ body parts, and subsequent mutilations are alarmingly common. At the end of 2014, the Tanzanian office of the Canadian charity Under the Same Sun listed 129 recent killings and 181 attacks on Albinos living in Africa. From 2015 to 2019 there were over 150 incidents of such attacks in Malawi alone. Due to this horrific persecution, Albinos are often hidden away in boarding schools, private homes or specialized centres. Below, 17-year-old daughter Angel Salvatory is reunited with her mother at a Protectorate centre in Kabanga, Tanzania. Source: enactafrica
So what is being done? Recent years has seen notable attempts to combat the heinous crimes against albinos in Africa. The late Tanzanian president, John Magufuli, exemplified this during his 2015 presidential election campaign, where he made a bold commitment to end Albino killings. He declared that government officers would be held personally accountable should such incidents occur under their watch. Moreover, following an attack on a 38-year-old Albino father of four in 2016, then Tanzanian president Peter Mutharika established a formal commission to investigate the situation. However, commitment at the highest political level does not necessarily translate to a cessation of these crimes. Despite these efforts, the killings persisted. In 2021 alone, human rights organizations, Under the Same Sun and the Legal and Human Rights Centre, reported four gruesome incidents of Albino killings. The tragic stories ranged from a six-year-old boy found mutilated in Kigoma city to the discovery of desecrated graves in Tanga and Arusha. Unfortunately there are a multitude of challenges facing the issue. The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, has reportedly exacerbated the situation in other African nations, with increasing poverty pushing more people into the organ trade. Amid the ongoing crisis, international human rights groups such as Amnesty international, Under the Same Sun and Albinism Foundation Zambia have intensified advocacy campaigns to spotlight the peril faced by Albinos and spur policy shifts nationally. However, these efforts frequently grapple with the nuances of addressing what’s often dubbed a 'silent crime’ – acts deeply entrenched in local customs and superstitions, flourishing in areas with minimal governmental influence. Tangible change necessitates that high-level political pledges align with grassroots mobilization. Media and civil society play an important role in redefining perceptions about albinism, challenging entrenched myths, and fostering societal acceptance. Beyond mere awareness, this transformation demands endorsement from local influencers and the reinforcement of policy and legal frameworks. Tanzania’s recent launch of the National Anti-Trafficking in Persons Plan of Action 2021-2024 is a promising step in this direction. But more must be done. a
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
|