Attacks against people with albinism

Attacks against people with albinism

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein this morning issued a press release expressing revulsion at a recent surge in violent attacks against people with albinism in several East African countries. In the past six months, at least 15 people with albinism in Tanzania, Malawi and Burundi were abducted, wounded, killed or subjected to attempted kidnappings, including three such incidents in the past week alone.

“These attacks are often stunningly vicious, with children in particular being targeted,” Zeid said. “As a result, many people with albinism are living in abject fear. Some no longer dare to go outside, and children with albinism have stopped attending school because of the recent spate of assaults, murders and kidnappings.”

In Malawi alone, at least six incidents have been reported in the first ten weeks of this year, compared to four incidents recorded over the previous two years. In Machinga District, in the south of the country, where several kidnappings and killings have taken place, groups of men are reported to be roaming around hunting for people with albinism.

More information, including details of specific cases, is available in the full press release on:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15673&LangID=E in English and
http://www.ohchr.org/FR/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPageFR=true&LangID=F in French

ENDS

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