The brutal
killing of an albino man in Malawi has renewed concerns of attacks on people
with the rare genetic disorder, which causes the skin, hair, or eyes to have
little or no colour.
Albinos have
been killed in Malawi and some other parts of Africa over the false belief that
their body parts can bring good luck and wealth. Albino rights campaigners are
demanding authorities do more to end the attacks.
Malawi
police say they are looking for two suspects who broke into 54-year-old Yassin
Phiri's house in northern Malawi on New Year's Eve and stabbed the albino man
to death.
Malawi
Police Inspector General Rodney Jose on Wednesday told reporters the attackers
killed Phiri in front of his nine-year-old son.
"They
dragged him outside the house probably to a distance of about 20 meters,"
Jose said. "Then they chopped off both his hands, they left him battling
for his life until he bled to death".
Phiri was
not killed over of any personal dispute or to steal his wealth - he was
murdered for his body parts.
Albinism is
a rare, genetic condition that causes the skin, eyes, and hair to have little
or no colour.
In Malawi
and other parts of Africa, some people believe that body parts from albinos, if
used in so-called magic potions, can bring good luck and wealth.
Since 2013,
26 Malawian albinos have been killed and 130 injured.
Habiba Osman
runs a United Nations-sponsored program in Malawi trying to dispel the false
belief and end attacks on albinos.
She tells
VOA this latest murder is a blow to their efforts.
"It's
really very discouraging, disheartening and horrifying for those especially us
who have been in the forefront conducting various activities advocacy
activities but also just bringing to the attention of stakeholders on the need
to take [care] of these people," Osman said.
Osman says a
big problem is bringing to justice suspects who attack albinos or steal body
parts from their graves.
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