On the Spot: Albinos in Tanzania

Canadian House of Commons condemns attacks on Tanzanian children with albinism

2011-11-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

The campaign against the murder and mutilation of Tanzanian adults and children with albinism was unanimously supported by the Canadian House of Commons on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

Members of Parliament supported a motion by Langley MP Mark Warawa that condemns the attacks on adults and children with albinism for their body parts, expresses the support of the citizens of Canada for people with albinism in Tanzania who have been the victims of such attacks,

urges the Government of Tanzania to prosecute perpetrators of these crimes "actively and aggressively" and calls on Tanzanian authorities "to take immediate action to prevent further violence against persons with albinism and to bring to swift justice those who engaged in such practices

."...Read the Rest of the Story Here

Tanzania's Attorney General forms team to probe albino killings

2011-10-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

THE Attorney General's office has formed a national task force that will investigate into the killings of albinos in the country.

Deputy AG George Masaju told the Public Accounts Parliamentary Committee at the weekend that incidents of albino killings were on the rise, and thus a cause for concern.

"We are serious on the issue, we cannot just remain silent while someone is being killed...Read the Rest of the Story Here

Turn not a blind eye: Act!

2011-10-19T07:13:00.001-07:00

This blog is dedicated to decrying the animosity leveled against people with albinism. It seems there’s been a recrudescence of violence against albinos in Tanzania in recent months.

Some of the albinos have been hacked, humiliated and even killed by people seeking their body parts to sell to witchdoctors who make charms and potions using them.

The witchdoctors have made people believe that when they take the charms and potions then they will increase their wealth bases, improve their security and safeguard their positions.

On this blog, I vent my heart’s contempt regarding the goings on.
Human life is sacred and no one has the right to cut someone else’s life short.
Albinos are human beings and they, too, are entitled to live.

Here I share links to PREVIOUS pieces I did to voice my stand on this issue:

1. This war will one day be won, but first...

2. Who will speak up for us if we don't stand up for them?

3. It's our call dear brethren

Gruesome Criminal Acts continue against children with Albinism in Tanzania

2011-10-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

Here I reproduce Under the Same Sun's (UTSS)recent report on the violence and stigma leveled against albinos in Tanzania.

UTSS advocates for the rights of persons with albinism wherever they face discrimination.

Peter Ash, Under the Same Sun's CEO, says impassionately: “Justice has not come and horrifying crimes against children with albinism continue unabated in Tanzania. Only firm and decisive action on the part of Tanzanian government and society will stem this tide of innocent blood being spilled!”

In the last 10 months there have been four gruesome attacks against persons with albinism in Tanzania. Here are the facts:

1. Only four days ago on October 14, 2011 the machete attack and attempted murder of 12 year Adam Robert occurred in Geita Region, Tanzania. A man seeking his body parts for sale to witchdoctors and their customers began hacking off his arm. He resisted and was left laying in front of his home with multiple wounds including three fingers which were severed from his right hand. His three fingers will quickly fetch a handsome price in Tanzania’s continuing black market for albino body parts. Adam survived the gruesome attack and reported to police that his father, stepmother, uncle, and another male relative were involved in this criminal act. His testimony was confirmed by neighbours. Adam is currently in hospital suffering from severe wounds and trauma. He says he can never go home to his family. WARNING: The photos are GRAPHIC 1.Click HERE to see the Photo 2.Click HERE to see the Photo

2. On May 13, 2011, the murder by poisoning of 14 month old infant Doto Mbiti from the Ibanda Village, Geita Region, Tanzania occurred. His horrific killing was committed by an aunt simply because she did not want a child with albinism in her family. Two hospitals were unable to treat the poisoning and baby Doto passed away after extreme suffering in Sengerema Hospital. His tiny body is buried in the floor of a dirty animal shed to prevent the body parts from being stolen by those who poisoned him. The news of Doto’s murder was delivered to UTSS by his parents in August of 2011. The parents did not report his death to the police because of fear that they would never survive the Sukuma tribes’ traditional revenge. “Sukumas cannot stand relatives who reveal family secrets to the authorities” they said. The family also revealed that there have been several attempts to steal the body parts from the grave for use in witchcraft rituals.

3. In January of 2011 the abduction and bodily violation of 4 year old Meriki in Kasemie village, Geita Tanzania occurred. The assailant forcibly held the young boy for several hours. During this time Meriki’s hair was cut and collected by the attacker, for sale to witchdoctors and their customers. Albino hair is a hot commodity in Tanzanias’s dark underground market. When the man finally released Meriki, his grandmother noticed that part of his head had no hair and asked who cut it. He said the violation had been perpetrated by a neighbour, Mr. Robert Matage (40yrs). The crime was
reported to the police, Robert was questioned, and later released. On October 18, 2011 Tanzanian police told the media that the police could not interfere. UTSS believes this is an appalingly inadequate response.

4. On February 9, 2011 in Rukwa Region, three year old Juma Kapela was abducted while playing with a group of children. His recovery follows a four-day intensive search mounted jointly by the police, a team of Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) soldiers and villagers. For their safety, Juma and his 5 year old sister Wande, who also has albinism, have been removed from their family, friends & village and relocated to a safer place some 400 miles from home.

Young children with albinism experience Horrific suffering and neglect in Tanzanian public boarding schools.

On October 17, 2011 UTSS received information about several children with albinism who are residents of the government operated Buhangija boarding school in Shinyanga Region. The situation in Buhangija School is appalling and disturbing! The head teacher of the school made these remarks concerning the spreading skin cancer affecting the young students;

“It is the children’s fault that they have skin cancer.”

A mother who recently lost her 28 year old daughter with albinism to skin cancer was told by a doctor in Shinyanga;

“Don’t worry, this is how these people (persons with albinism) are.”

WARNING: The photo is GRAPHIC Click HERE to see the Photo

UTSS Believes that this stigma and discrimination is killing thousands of Tanzania n citizens with albinism .

Edmund Burke once remarked, “All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing!”. UTSS is unable to “do nothing”. We are asking that those perpetrating these atrocities
are brought to justice. We also seek a day when persons with albinism will take their rightful place in every level of Tanzanian society. We implore the authorities in Tanzania, media, NGO’s and all concerned citizens to raise the alarm about the ongoing slaughter and violation of persons with albinism in Tanzania.

Persecution of Albinos in Tanzania

2011-10-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Vumilia Makoye was like many other Tanzanians living with albinism. Due to her severe near-sightedness as well as constant ridicule borne from her peers’ ignorance, school was a constant challenge. She dropped out by age 17. One evening, Vumilia was eating dinner at home with her family in Tanzania when men approached her hut with long knives. Her family saw the men and tried to barricade the front door, but they were overpowered. Vumilia’s family watched as the men sawed off her legs above the knee and fled with her limbs...Click Here to Read the Rest

Albino ‘overcomes’ assailant

2011-10-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of Daily News, Tanzania

AN albino child who is admitted to the Geita Hospital in Mwanza Region after he was attacked by a man who was after his body parts said he survived by biting the assailant’s private parts.

Adam Robert (14), whose condition is improving said that he managed to bite the man amid the gruesome attack, forcing the goon to run away before cutting his fingers.

“When he was cutting my hand, I was yelling and after a few moment he started preparing to chop off my fingers. That is when I got the chance of biting his private part. That man managed to cut my fingers after I fell down while trying to escape,” narrated the shocked but brave kid.

Narrating the ordeal, Robert said that he met the man (suspect) last Friday, when he came looking for
his cow. Robert, who was grazing the cows, said that the man stayed with him at the grazing ground before disappearing in the forests.

“After a few minutes, the man came back this time offering me a hat but I refused telling him that I had mine with me, after which I decided to move closer to my home,” he said.

Later in the evening, Robert said that the man came to their house on the pretence of looking for his lost cow. He arrived finding the victim with his father.

“After introducing himself to my mother, I informed my father to have met with the man at the grazing grounds,” he said, adding that later the man left the premises.

According to the father, one Robert Tangawizi (36), the following day (Saturday) attacked the child and cut off his body parts before he run away. According to the father, the suspect is still at large.

Past Stories on this Blog

2011-02-11T06:27:00.000-08:00

Click on these links to read some past stories on this blog.

...Who Are Albinos?

...Who will Speak up for us If we don't Speak up for Them

...Are you Really your Brother's Keeper?

...Prayer of an Albino in Tanzania

Kahama, Bukombe Districts named as most lawless

2011-01-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

Kahama and Bukombe Districts of Shinyanga region are the leading districts for various acts of lawlessness including armed robbery, robbery and use of weapons.

Police Commander of Shinyanga region, Diwani Athumani, has confirmed that these districts have many challenges for the police force and voluntary protection where many criminal acts and murders of the elderly continue to be reported within the district.

This Commander gave this report following up the lead in various criminal acts especially of armed robbery and murders of the elderly last year.

Athumani told journalists that one of the main reasons for the existence of this situation is that these districts have a great influx of visitors from within and outside the Shinyanga region, adjoining regions and neighbouring countries.

Furthermore, he said these districts have had areas for large and small and mining industries of gold and diamonds.

Likewise, these districts have large influxes resulting from being on the main bitumen road from Isaka to the neighbouring countries of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and Uganda as well as the refugee camps which are in the adjoining regions of Kagera and Kigoma.

He said because of these circumstances, murders of the elderly and people with albinism have been occurring in these areas and other areas like Bariadi, Shinyanga, Maswa and Meatu involving a small percentage.

Concerning the steps which have been announced to be taken by the police force to tackle this situation, he said starting in 2011 police plan to ensure a peaceful and calm situation will be reinstated within all these lawless areas.

“As the police force, we have set ourselves the target for the year 2011 to ensure serious crimes reduce and stop and don’t exist at all: what I am saying is for those armed robbers to look other things to do,” Diwani said.

He made it clear that police using voluntary protection, will cooperate with citizens to get reports about crime and that these will not be leaked.

Moreover, he said that they will confirm they are using sungusungu to strengthen protection within these regions and that sungusungu groups, are getting education about protection and security strategies.

Salum Khalfan Barwany - Tanzania's Albino MP fears for his life

2010-11-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

Tanzania's first elected albino member of parliament fears his life could be in danger in the east African country where albino hunters kill their victims and use their blood and body parts for witchcraft.

Salum Khalfan Barwany said he may be threatened by an unknown group that has been tracking his movements since he was elected MP for the Lindi Urban constituency in southern Tanzania in an October 31 election...Check out the Rest of Story Here

Vicky Ntetema: A Resolute and Courageous Woman...

2010-11-11T09:06:00.000-08:00

...a woman who has the interests of Albinos in Tanzania at heart

Vicky Ntetema,a Tanzanian journalist

Question: What exactly inspired you to singlehandedly hold the bull by its horns, going after and exposing those who engage in the insane acts? Was it a duty call? Has the practice ever affected your personal life before you took off? do you have friends or relatives who are albinos?

Answer: I hate to be a witness to injustices and standby without doing anything. And as a journalist, I owe it to my profession and the public to go an extra mile to find the truth and tell it as it is. What would you do when a mother tells you that she was forced to choose between releasing her seven month old baby with albinism to the killers and witnessing the slaughter of three of her children one by one until they get what they want!

What about listening to a teenager boy narrating with pain about the killers who had to butcher his mother and pregnant sister to get a leg of his ten year old sister with albinism because a witchdoctor ordered it for a client? Would you keep quiet when you hear how helpless underage children watch as the neck of their five year old kid sister is slit open, legs hacked off, blood drunk by killers who disappear with the limbs and tongue! I had to do something!

...Check out the Rest of the Interview Here

Parliamentary candidate's gaffe during a campaign rally

2010-10-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

This BLOGGER says:

....It was insensitive of him to make such a remark. He should have known better than to say such a thing. He is one who should be leading the way in the fight against albino discrimination...

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper, Tanzania

Lindi Urban CCM parliamentary candidate Mohamed Abdul Azizi has conceded that the Civic United Front (CUF) presidential candidate, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, is a well learned economist who could bring economic revolution in the country if elected president.

Azizi, who also doubles as Iringa Regional Commissioner, is defending his position in the constituency he has been representing in parliament for a long time.

He told a campaign rally at Matopeni area that Prof Lipumba was one of the most brilliant academicians in the country who has offered his contribution to the development of the country and other nations.

The parliamentary candidate cited the US and European countries whose economies the professor had helped to improve, but told the potential voters that the time for Prof Lipumba to run the country was yet to come because of the existing traditional transfer of authority, for which he didn’t elaborate.

In another turn of events, Azizi and his campaign manager Khalfani Mandanje, used abusive and stigmatising language against Lindi Urban parliamentary candidate Salum Bar’wani from the Civic United Front, saying he was unsuitable because he was an albino.
They told the electorate in Ng’apa, Mingoyo, Chikonji and Matopeni wards at varying times of the campaigns that

under normal circumstances people with albinism suffered memory loss because of the lack of Vitamin C as they are exposed to sunlight.

CCM candidate Azizi is quoted to have said: “In the past, our elders spat on their chests if they met albinos in the morning to drive away any curse.”

An embittered Bar’wani told journalists that people harbouring such attitudes were no different from those who killed albinos for superstitious reasons.

He is considering to petition to the national electoral commission.

Meanwhile, Azizi asked the electorate to vote him back into parliamaent so that he could finalise the construction of his hotel. But he did not give details.

Plight of albinos should shame us to the core

2010-09-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

...SNAPSHOTS...

...At what point did we lose our humanity that we regard anyone who looks even slightly different from the majority as a lesser being? Albinos deal with prejudice every waking day of their lives, and perhaps even in sleep. Just being in public is a nightmare for most...

...The silly and futile belief that sacrificing albinos brings good luck, has led to their being hunted down, killed and their body parts sold to witchdoctors.
It is easy to pass on the burden of responsibility in ending this horrific and beastly trade to the Government and police, but that will not make it go away...

...We must stand up to be counted among the defenders of this endangered minority, whose only ‘crime’ is that they lack the ability to make enough melanin to turn their skins ebony...

...Albinism is due to a genetic defect that exists in a percentage of any sample of the population, and has nothing to do with black magic or sorcery. Albinos have no supernatural abilities, and to believe otherwise is FOOLISH!...
...Check out the Story Here

In Swaziland: Albino (11) shot, beheaded

2010-09-08T08:12:00.001-07:00

The death of an 11-year old Albino girl will forever be etched on the minds of her friends who watched haplessly after she was abducted, shot and beheaded...Check out the Story Here

In Kenya: Woman kills albino child to avoid bad omen

2010-09-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

A woman who killed her four-month-old baby because she was an albino has been sentenced to serve one year in jail by a Gucha court.

Sara Kemunto Nyabuto, 23, committed the offence on August 2, 2010 at Bokimweri sub location in Nyamache district...Check out the Story Here

Only education will end albino killings

2010-09-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper, Tanzania

By Gerald Kitabu

This week Gerald Kitabu interviewed Claus Ngowi, a student at the Institute of Social Work who has done research on albino killings. Excerpts:

QUESTION: What moved you to conduct research on albino killings?

ANSWER: I had accompanied a Swedish photojournalist, Johan Bavman, who had come to Tanzania to conduct a research on albino killings. I joined him and visited many parts of the country to document the killings. We wanted not only to sensitize the public to protect them and to urge government take concrete measures against these killings.

Q: What kind of stories were you gathering from the field?

A: Many horrifying stories one cannot imagine. For example, in April 2008, a woman close to 40 years in the lake Zone had sent her 10-year-old daughter to school as usual. On the way back, she walked with two other girls from the neighbourhood. During the short walk, they met a man who promised to give them sugarcane if they went with him to the corner of the road near a forest. When they arrived, he told the other two girls to go away. Her daughter who was an albino was hit hard in the head.

Q: Why do killers do that?

A: According to research, many killers are superstitious; they believe that albino arms, legs and genitals can bring them fortune. Rich men and witch doctors use poor and desperate people to carry out their dirty work of looking for albino body parts.

Q: How do albinos feel?

A: When you talk to many albinos, you find out that they are resigned; many think that their fellow human beings whom they used to eat, play and live together in peace have turned against them. Some albinos say that the government, too, is no longer with them because some cases are still pending in courts.

Q: What is the magnitude of the problem at present?

A: The problem is very big, and the war against albino killers is far from being won. Many people may think that incidents of albino killings are declining. They’re not. In fact, it is because the media people are not reporting such incidents.

Q: What strategies do killers use?

A: It seems the killers keep on changing their tactics every passing day. But their main techniques include sweet words and promises like marrying them, helping them to get jobs in big cities like Dar es Salaam, using their friends in exchange for money, forging friendship with them and hunting them during night.

Q: You have said that you are now planning to make a movie on your research, why?

A: To see is different from to hear. To see something has immediate impact than to hear or read in newspapers. I would like therefore, to deliver the message in a very simple but practical way so that all people and stakeholders can feel the same way Albino feels so that they can act on it faster. Movies are the best way to deliver the message as compared to other methods.

However, being a social worker, I would like to apply my profession to educate the public through movies on the problem.

Q: Where will you get the donors to finance your movies?

A: Every person in Tanzania is a victim of albino killings because they are our fellow Tanzanians, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. I think if I talk to donors about the movie, any good Samaritans will be interested to finance it.

Q: What should be done to protect them?

A: I see it as a more of societal problem; a problem that can be solved only when you educate the community. The media and the police force alone will never stop this menace among us. It is only education that will end the killings. However, the government should have a policy that will clearly articulate and guarantee security, including introduction of a special institution which will provide home- based care to albinos.

Under the Same Sun's Albinos Honour Roll

2010-09-08T07:53:00.001-07:00

9 PERSONS WITH ALBINISM SURVIVE BRUTAL
MACHETE ATTACKS IN TANZANIA.

Emmanuel FESTO, age 7, survived a brutal machete attack on November 12,
2007. His arm was hacked off and the fingers of his remaining hand were also chopped
off. Emmanuel has been relocated to a safer place and is now attending a private
boarding school sponsored by the UTSS Education Scholarship Fund.
Emmanuel Festo
NOTE: Official reports indicate that between 2007 and 2010, 66 persons with albinism have
been brutally attacked; their body parts hacked off and sold to witchdoctors. Of the 66
attacks, 57 were murders and 9 are mutilated survivors. Leaders in the albinism
community believe the number of attacks & deaths is closer to 100 or...Check out the Story Here

They call us ‘albinos’ — the licence to mock and murder fellow humans

2010-08-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Truly the East African Economic Community has taken off. You can now move all sorts of goods and merchandise across the common border without hindrance. Indeed, there is this lucrative trade item — the albino.

You do not have to carry it across the border, it will walk across with you, and even keep you company on the way. If it happens to be your childhood friend, well, that’s just a minor inconvenience. The sale of its hair, legs, arms will fetch you millions...

If the story of Robinson and “friend” Nathan was not so tragic, it would be very funny...Check out the Story Here

Albino who was being sold was abandoned by parents

2010-08-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

Mr Robinson Mnoti Mkwama, alias Musungu, who was about to be sold to human traffickers in Tanzania, was abandoned by his parents at an early age in Nairobi.

Mr Mkwama, who has albinism, was brought up in an orphanage in Nairobi, where he pursued his education to Form Four...Check out the Story Here

This new threat against albinos should be nipped in the bud

2010-08-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

THE CRIMINAL trade in body parts of people with albinism has taken a new and most alarming dimension that involves smuggling albinos from neighbouring countries and "selling" them alive in Tanzania.

Police in Mwanza Region are holding a Kenyan, Nathan Mtei, who allegedly brought a teenage albino, Mr Robinson Mkwana Mnyoti into the country looking for a buyer at a price of 400m/-...Check out the Story Here

Kenyan jailed 17 years, fined 80 million/- over albino deal

2010-08-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper, Tanzania

Nathan Mutei, a Kenyan, is escorted out of court in Mwanza. He was jailed for 17 years.

The Resident Magistrate's Court in Mwanza Region has sentenced a Kenyan national, Nathan Mtei Mwasha, to a 17-year jail term and a fine of 80m/- after he was found guilty of human trafficking and attempting to sell an albino, Robinson Mukwana, for 400m/-.

Mwasha was arrested for allegedly trafficking Mukwana from Kitale (Kenya) to Tanzania with the intention to sell him.

When he first appeared in court, he pleaded guilty to the charges against him, which prompted the magistrate to give his verdict within a short time.

Delivering judgement on Wednesday, resident magistrate Angelous Rumisha said the accused’s attempt to sell the albino was inhuman and barbaric, and that the punishment given was indented to deter other people.

Earlier, state attorney David Kakwaya alleged in court that the accused committed the offence on August 12, this year.

Kakwaya explained that the accused told Mukwana he was taking him to Tanzania to offer him a job, to which he agreed without knowing that he was going to be sold.

He said the accused came to Mwanza for the first time in June, this year, to look for a witchdoctor, whom he told he had some albino bones and he was looking for customers.

Kakwaya noted that the witchdoctor told him to give him time as he looked for the customers.

“The witchdoctor reported the matter to the police, who set up a trap. However, the accused managed to sneak out of the country before the police apprehended him,” Kakwaya told the court.

He said when the accused and his unsuspecting prey arrived in Mwanza on August 12, this year, they booked at River Side Guest House in Buzurugwa area.

He said the accused then called the witchdoctor, who had promised to look for customers. Instead he informed the police, who apprehended him before he could accomplish his ill mission.

................... ........

This is how
BBC
reported the incident:...Check out the Story Here

2 weeks ago: Albino killer challenges verdict in Appeal Court

2010-08-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper, Tanzania

Check out the Previous News Piece on the same Story

Kazimili Mashauri (50), who was recently sentenced to death by hanging after he was found guilty of killing a five-year-old albino girl, has lodged an application to the Court of Appeal of Tanzania in Mwanza challenging the High Court’s verdict.

The Court of Appeal yesterday confirmed it had received the appeal by the convict, who was sentenced to death for killing Mariam Emmanuel.

The appeal was filed by the convict’s counsel Wilbroad Butambala recently, High Court Registrar Isaya Arufani confirmed yesterday.

The verdict was delivered on July 27, this year, by High Court Judge Projest Rugazia.

According to the High Court registrar, the convict’s counsel challenges High Court proceedings during the determination of the case and the death sentence imposed on the convict.

The judgment, which lasted for an hour, was read by Judge Rugazia, who argued he was satisfied with prosecution witnesses levelled against the first accused, who he found guilty of murder.

He said he could not implicate an accomplice (the second accused) because the prosecution did not table strong evidence as claimed by court assessors and as a result, he set him free.

Judge Rugazia, while reading the verdict, said the prosecution depended much on witness number two Nhindi Emmanuel assertions that for quite sometime, he was used in the case, therefore, it was easy for the witness to identify the accused.

The prosecution brought eight witnesses including the mother of the deceased girl, Flora Mabula, and her two children.

The murder of the albino girl occurred on January 21, 2008 at around 04:00am in Nyangh’olongo Village, Misungwi District in Mwanza Region, whereby the accused murdered and drank the blood of the albino girl from a bowl.

3 weeks ago: Tenth person sentenced to death over albino killings

2010-08-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper, Tanzania
Kazimili Mashauri seated (L) after being sentenced to death by the Mwanza High Court for killing Mariam Emmanuel (5). With him is Mathias Itangala, who was acquitted.
A Mwanza resident, Kazimili Mashauri was yesterday convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of five-year old child, Mariam Emmanuel who was suffering from albinism.

His conviction by the High Court in Mwanza brought to 10 the number of sentenced to death for albino killings that rocked the country three years ago.

The killing of the albino child occurred on January 21, 2008 around 4.00 am at Nyangh’olongo village in Misungwi District, Mwanza Region. Hearing of the case started on July 6, this year, and the prosecuting side had four witnesses including the mother of the child, Flora Mabula.

Mashauri was the first accused in the case involving the brutal killing of the five-year old child.

The second accused in the case, Mathias Italanga, alias Machona was freed by the court.

In its first ruling in September last year, the High Court sitting in Shinyanga sentenced to death three accused persons in connection with the killings.

In October last year the High Court in Tabora Zone sentenced three accused persons to death by hanging after they were found guilty of two separate murders of albinos that were committed between 2002 and 2003.

Three other accused people were sentenced to death by hanging by another High Court sitting in Shinyanga in November last year.

Yesterday’s landmark ruling that lasted for almost one hour yesterday, was read by High Court Judge Projest Rugazia who said the court arrived at the decision after being satisfied with the evidence presented by the second witness in court against the first accused in the case.

Rugazia said the court had decided to set free the second accused in the case because evidence tendered in court against him was shallow as suggested by the court assessors.

He said the court verdict was made on the basis of evidence presented by the second witness to the case, Nhindi Emmanuel, who, according to the judge, witnessed the murder.

“The court believes that the evidence tendered by the second witness is true because it was supported by the evidence presented by the deceased child’s mother,” said Rugazia.

The judge rejected defense statement presented by the convict as untrue.

He said the court was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt by the evidence presented by the second witness, who had said that he saw the convict killing the child and drink her blood.

On the material day, the second and third witnesses were sleeping with the murdered child.

The trio who were convicted in September, last year and are now on death row are Masumbuko Madata (32) of Itunga Village, Emmanuel Masangwa (28) of Bunyihuna Village and Charles Kalamuji alias Charles Masangwa (42) of Nanda Village, all in Bukombe District.

They were convicted by Judge Gabriel Rwakibarila after being found guilty of conspiring and killing an albino schoolboy, Matatizo Dunia (13), on December 1, 2008 at Bunyihuna village in Shinyanga Region’s Bukombe District.

Ilanga Bagagu, a resident of Nyakabindi village, Dutwa hamlet in Bariadi District, was convicted in October, last year , after being found guilty of killing his best friend, Emmanuel Maduhu, a businessman selling onions in the district.

Others who were also sentenced to death are Masalu Misalaba of Lyagiti village and Said Masolwa alias Bunga of Lyabukande.

Delivering the judgement, Judge Mjalius said that both accused were found guilty of conspiring to kill Masolwa, who was brother of accused Said Masolwa.

He said that on February 3, 2003 the accused together with others, who did not appear in court, attacked Masolwa who was riding a bicycle together with Manyeye Bukamu.

Those who were sentenced to death in November last year by the High Court Judge Gadi Mjemas included Mboje Mawe, Chenyenye Kishiwa, Sayi Gamaya and Sayi Mafizi, all residents of Nkindwabiye village in Bariadi district, Shinyanga region to be hanged to death.

He said the four conspired and killed Lyaku Wille (50) of Nkindwabiye village between November and December 2008.

Judge Mjemas said he was convinced beyond reasonable doubt based on evidence adduced from DNA results conducted by a government chemist, Gloria Machube that matched blood stains found on the weapons which were in the accused possession, that none other than the accused committed the offence.

Under The Same Sun at NOAH 2010

2010-08-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

This July, UTSS had 12 representatives at the Washington DC national conference on
albinism. There were 4 from Tanzania and 8 from Canada. NOAH (National Organization for Albinism & Hypo-pigmentation) is an American - based non-profit organization that sponsors a conference every 2 years representing the albinism community.

This year’s event reported over 900 in attendance with a moderate representation from the international community as well. We met fellow Canadians, Tanzanians, South Africans, a gentleman from Senegal, another from Nigeria, and a number of folk from
Australia – a very diverse crowd to say the least. For those of us with albinism, the sense of kinship, affinity, connection, and understanding was palpable as we were surrounded by this unique fellowship that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet and certainly not in our day to day lives.

For those of us without albinism there was the unique experience of being a minority group to the people with albinism surrounding us. It felt right! For both groups, the deepest expressions of this experience were manifested in tears and laughter as words failed to capture its essence. ...Check out the Story Here

Terrible tale in court: How albino was ruthlessly killed

2010-07-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

This article was translated by Jean Burke for this blog from a Kiswahili newspaper (NIPASHE)

The second witness in the case of the murder of a child with albinism, has described to the Supreme Court of Tanzania of Mwanza Zone that he saw the first defendant, Kazimili Mashauri, when he killed his younger sister, Mariam Emmanuel (5) and that he told them if they made a sound they would be killed.

A part of the examination, between this witness, Nhindi Emmanuel, who is in Grade Five and the Public Prosecutor, Ayub Mwenda, before the Judge Projest Rugazia who is hearing this case , was as follows:

Lawyer: What happened at night when you were asleep?

Witness: Three people woke us up.

Lawyer: What did they tell you?

Witness: Lie down. If you make a noise we will kill you.

Lawyer: What did they have?

Witness: One had a machete, the second had a knife and the third a torch.

Lawyer: After telling you to lie down, what did they start to do?

Witness: They started to kill our little sister.

Lawyer: Who was killing her?

Witness: Kazimili.

Lawyer: What were the other two doing?

Witness: One was catching the blood by using a saucepan.

Lawyer: The other?

Witness: He was shining a torch.

Lawyer: After killing her, what happened then?

Witness: Kazimili drank the blood.

Lawyer: What happened after slaughtering her?

Witness: They cut off her legs.

Lawyer: How did you recognize Kazimili?

Witness: He was shining light with the torch.

Lawyer: Where was Kazimili living?

Witness: Just in the village.

Lawyer: What did you do after they left?

Witness: I went into my grandfather’s room to tell him, I called him Grandpa, Grandpa but he didn’t wake up. Later my uncle came and he kept calling him and then he woke up.

The witness told the court that he explained to his grandfather that Mariam was ruthlessly killed by Kazimili and then his grandfather lit a lamp and went to look.
He was questioned by the lawyer defending the first accused, Willbard Butambala, if the murderers hit him, and the witness described to Judge Rugazia that Kazimili hit him with the machete on his back.

In another event, Judge Rugazia decided to use his discretion after the third witness in this case, Jesca Emmanuel or Ndashaba didn’t understand the meaning of an oath and the effects of lying.

This witness who didn’t mention her age, told the judge that she is in first class in Ukiriguru Primary School in Misungwi district.

She was assisted by an interpreter, Jackson Tinapo, who interpreted the questions into Sukuma language, this child said she didn’t know when she started school, and the lessons which she is studying and that they did exams in February.

Because of the situation, Judge Rugazia said this witness didn’t appear to understand and it was unnecessary to teach her about oaths, and so permitted her to give evidence without an oath.

This case, number 42 of the year 2009 concerns the two accused, Kazimili Mashauri (48) and Mathias Italanga (60) known as Mahona.

The murder of Mariam occurred on January 21, in the year 2008, at 4 in the morning in Nyangh’olongo village of Misungwi district Mwanza region.

This case began to be heard on Tuesday when the mother of the deceased, Flora Mabula, gave evidence before Judge Rugazia adjourned it until yesterday. The case continues today.

Mother describes how her albino child was killed

2010-07-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

This article was translated by Jean Burke for this blog from a Kiswahili newspaper (NIPASHE)

The first witness in the case of the murder of albino, Mariam Emmanuel (5), Flora Mabula (33) has described to the Supreme Court of Tanzania of Mwanza Zone that prior to the murder occurring the first defendant, Kazimili Mashauri (48), asked her children about the house where they sleep.

This witness who is the mother of the deceased, told the court that because they were related to Mashauri, the children told him that they stayed in their grandfather’s house and she (the witness) was not worried about this.

The murder of albino, Mariam Emmanuel took place on January 21, this year at the time of 4am in Nyangh’olongo village of Misungwi district where it is claimed the murder suspects cut off both legs and disappeared with them.

This case is being heard by Judge Protace Rugazia and the prosecution side is being led by Public Prosecutor, Ayubu Mwenda, assisted by Stephen Makwega and Judith Nyaki.
Guided by the lawyer Mwenda, the witness told judge Rugazia that Mashauri was recognized by her children while holding a torch after breaking into the house and entering their room. Flora continued to explain to Judge Rugazia that this torch was used to illuminate the deceased where they were sleeping and the other murderers were holding machetes and pans to collect the blood. She claimed that at the time of this incident she was sleeping in her hut which was in the area of her father Mabula Fimbo, while her six children were asleep in their grandfather’s house.

According to Flora, while still sleeping she heard a noise made by people coming outside and finding many people in her father’s house and she tried to ask what had happened and she was told to go inside and see for herself.

“I went inside and found my daughter Mariamu had been ruthlessly killed and her body lay on the bed with both of her legs gone,” she explained to the court in a voice hard to hear.

She claimed that when she asked her other children who carried out this murder, they told her that they saw Mashauri holding a torch.

This case, number 42 of the year 2009 is directed towards two accused, Mashauri and Mathias Italanga (60) better known as Mahona.

The murder of the child, Mariam, occurred on January 21, 2008 at 4 am in the morning in Nyangh’olongo village, Misungwi district, of Mwanza region.
Judge Rugazia adjourned the case until tomorrow when the second witness will begin to give their evidence.

Albino’s grave dug up, bones taken

2010-07-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

This article was translated for this blog from Kiswahili by Jean Burke. It first appeared in
Nipashe,
a Kiswahili newspaper here in Tanzania

The fear of being hunted for albino body parts has re-emerged after claims that unknown people exhumed the grave of a person with albinism in the Izengwabasumba settlement in Nyamalulu village, Geita district and some bones have disappeared.

It is alleged this incident is related to superstitious beliefs to gain riches from gold mining. It is said that the police force have not arrested any suspects but are continuing their investigations and already a confidential list of suspects including a traditional healer is being prepared as an initial step.

It is alleged the incident occurred at night in early July and was then reported at district police headquarters.

It is claimed that residents of this village discovered the grave of Zawadi Mangidu (22), at about four-thirty in the afternoon had been exhumed and a piece of a bone had fallen on top of the grave.

Information from the incident area indicates that suspects dug up the grave at the side of the cement-built area..by digging in areas without cement and then after exhuming it and removing the bones dug up, they filled in the hole and vanished.

In verifying the occurence of this incident, the Police Commander of Mwanza Region, Simon Sirro, said this incident took place one night in early July and that already a team of police led by the Head of Police of Geita district had arrived at the location of the incident.

He said the police went to the location of the incident after receiving the report from the village chair and began investigations where it was evident that after exhuming the grave, the criminals had filled it in later.

A call to all by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: Help the Albinos

2010-06-19T01:44:00.000-07:00

If you would like to support our work in helping the albinos in Tanzania and Burundi, you can donate by using the bank details below.

Account Name: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Bank Name: Standard Chartered Bank
Account Number: 8706025934700
Swift Code: SCBLKENXAXX
Country: Kenya
Reference: Albino project

Please note that this bank account is a US dollars account held by the International Federation regional office in Nairobi. To make sure your donation is earmarked for the albinos, please ensure you include the reference 'Albino project' when you make your donation. On behalf of the albinos, thank you for supporting our work.

Tanzania: albinos are “a walking deal”

2010-06-19T01:36:00.000-07:00

Article courtesy of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

A problem that was originally confined to the Great Lakes region of Tanganyika is now spreading into mainland Tanzania. Two of the recent attacks on albinos took place less than 300 kilometres from the city of Dar es Salaam. The situation has been further aggravated by an increase in the value of a complete set of albino body parts – now fetching 200,000 US dollars....

Rukia recalls how that fateful night she had strapped Fatuma on her back as she went about her evening chores. She then felt a hard blow on her left rib. She quickly turned around only to see a man trying to hide a machete behind his back...

With a shaky voice Rukia tells how she came to understand that her husband was behind the attack...

Read the rest HERE.

The murder of albinos in Tanzania

2010-06-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

...“One person, a little boy of 4 was murdered. A man lost a hand, the hand was chopped off. A little girl who is now in hospital, her hand was chopped off and there was an attack with severe injuries when a woman of 33 years of age and a little girl of 12 months old were attacked.”...

...“These witch doctors have turned into small gods. All over the place people fear them, people believe them. People trust them. If you say to a Tanzanian you don’t have to go to witch doctor to be successful you don’t have to go to a witch doctor to solve your problems they will look at you and say are you coming from Mars? Most of them believe in witch doctors.”...

READ THE REST HERE

Body of albino woman exhumed

2010-06-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Unknown people have allegedly exhumed the body of an albino woman in Biharamulo district, Kagera region and made away with her body parts...READ THE REST HERE.

Peter Ash: A Beacon for Tanzanian albinos

2010-06-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

Article courtesy of The Citizen newspaper (Tanzania)

The Canadian philanthropist has walked miles in the shoes of albinos, raising awareness about albinism and the unquestionable humanity of those who have it
If it were a movie or play, he would have been the typical empathetic hero, who traversed deserts to come to the rescue of his friends under siege. But Peter Ash is not a movie star, and his friends are not subjects in a Hollywood film.

Yet like the protagonist in a movie, the 45-year-old Canadian is the heroic man, who is admired and idealised by thousands of albinos in Tanzania for coming from a far-off country to their rescue.

Being an albino too, it is most likely that he understood too well the plight people with albinism could have been going through. In his childhood, he had had to contend with name-calling by his peers for being an albino. Yet when he thought he had heard the worst, he realised one day that elsewhere, the ordeal of being an albino was beyond anyone’s imagination.

“I first heard of albino killings in 2008 through a BBC English service report by Vicky Ntetema. Then I knew that my brothers and sisters were dying,” says Ash, the president and founder of ‘Under the Same Sun’, an organisation that assists albinos in Tanzania.

The organisation aims at protecting an estimated 170,000 albinos in the country, who live in constant fear of ‘machete’-brandishing murderers, baying for their arms and legs.

More than 50 albinos have been murdered in the country in the past year and half alone by superstitious fortune seekers, who believe that a concoction containing some albino body parts makes them rich and powerful. The Tanzania Albino Society says the total number of murdered albinos in the country is as high as 80.

The murderers are said to be selling an arm for up to $3,000 (Sh4.2 million) and limb for as much as $7,500 (Sh10.5 million). It was at the height of the killings, rampant in some parts of Burundi and Kenya too, that Ash decided to come and help in a different way.

Surprised“I was surprised by the large numbers of albinos in Tanzania and the rest of East Africa, it is quite different from Canada and the other parts of the world,” he says.

An established entrepreneur running a money-lending company, Ash was born in Canada in 1965. He grew up and studied in the North American country, where he obtained degrees in theology and psychology.

Man of the cloth
For 10 years, he worked as a man of the cloth with two churches before he began his money-lending business. Could it be his experience as a cleric that drove him into philanthropy? Maybe.

But the heavily built Canadian went through difficult times due to the unusual colour of his skin. “When I was young, my friends used to make fun of me, calling me names, especially because of my vision problem,” he recalls.

However, the name-calling, painful as it was for a young child, ended during childhood. He says he had no such experience again in school as an adult. He was, nevertheless, to feel it once more, and much worse, on learning that in some parts of Tanzania’s rural areas and East Africa, not only were albinos contending with discrimination, but also daily threats to their lives.

“No one ever killed albino babies in Canada based on the belief that they are a curse,” he says. He believes discrimination and poverty has reduced the life expectancy of albinos in Tanzania to 30 years. In Canada and other countries, people with albinism could live longer, despite the problem of skin cancer.

Discrimination
Ash decries the extent of discrimination against albinos in the country. Giving the example of Said Abdalla, an albino in Morogoro whose hand was chopped off last month, he says the prejudice against people with albinism is worse here than in any other part of the world that he has been to.

Ash paid Said a visit, only to discover that none of the victim’s relatives knew where he was living. “Even the brother (didn’t know where Said was living after the incident), but all of a sudden he was of interest to them because he was getting help from ‘Under the Same Sun’.

Through the organisation, the passionate Canadian philanthropist provides emotional and material support to thousands of albinos in the country. Among other things, the charity provides sunglasses used to avoid too much exposure to the sun.

He dismisses what he says is a widespread belief among local albinos that the problem of frequent reflex eye-blinking most of them have is stopped by exposing an albino child to the sun soon after birth. Ash explains that the problem can be stopped by simply putting on sunglasses.

‘Under the Same Sun’, which is located in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, also helps albinos with tanning lotion and medical cover for some of the victims of the brutal attacks.

“They are exposed to too much sun, they can’t afford to buy tanning lotion, and they don’t have sunglasses, this is why they end up with skin cancer, which eventually leads to their death.”

In addition, the charity has a scholarship programme aimed at providing free education to albinos and improving their quality of life.

Vicky Ntetema, a former Tanzanian BBC correspondent and now executive director of media and international affairs with ‘Under the Same Sun’, describes Ash as someone who is “dedicating his energy and resources to help our brothers and sisters who are under siege”.

“He decided to call the charity ‘Under the Same Sun’ because all of us, regardless of our colour, black or white, albino or no albino, we all live under the same sun,” says Vicky, who won an award for her involvement in albinism advocacy.

The Human Rights Case of Persons with Albinism in Uganda

2010-05-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

In the temperate cycle between evening and twilight, Ugandan families prepare dinner. Living to the cycle of seasons and nature’s clock, there is a quiet pace that breaks the sounds of day. Chickens and goats are settling down, the air becomes more still and windows glow with an evening light. The daytime sounds in the neighborhood are folding into evening’s blanket.

In this part of Africa....”Read The Rest Here

.....................................

She continues, “Tanzania and other neighboring countries share similar beliefs surrounding Albinism as Uganda, which have allowed witchdoctors in these countries to exploit these superstitions in order to pursue their own economic gains.” “When a group is defined as anything less than human, acts of discrimination become acceptable. The most devastating construct in Tanzania and Burundi is the myth that certain body parts of an albino person can bring wealth.”Read The Rest Here

Students beg JK for albino-killers to be killed

2010-05-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

This article was translated by Jean Burke for this blog. It appeared in a Kiswahili newspaper, NIPASHE.
Children with albinism who attend Pongwe Primary School in the town here have asked President Jakaya Kikwete (JK) to insist the authorization of the death sentence by hanging until dead be issued by the courts for those involved in murders of albinos.

They have said this step will help greatly in frightening off those involved in these murders and ultimately to completely stop the nightmare which continues to take the lives of albinos in various areas of the country.

This was stated in interviews conducted with this newspaper, a short time after the appointed Member of Parliament, Al-Shymaa Kwegyir through her institution of Good Hope Star Foundation handed over sun-protection creams (lotion) and sunglasses.

These students generally stated they are fed up of a life without freedom due to fear of being killed anytime at the same time some of them lack basic rights as children because parents must hide them inside to avoid being hurt.

Semeni Bahati (12), a student in sixth class at this school said he is a resident of Sengerema of Mwanza region but his parents assisted him escape and brought him to Tanga region to save his live after his younger sibling who was an albino was killed by unknown persons.

And Mwania Salum who also is an albino and a student of this school saked the Government to increase security in those schools where children with albinism study, a ste which will encourage parents to send their children to schools if they know there is sufficient safety.

The specially appointed Member of Parliamant on the CCM ticket in Tanga region said that the battles in the war against albino murders in this country have been continuing resulting from the extensive and strong network which is beyond understanding.

Al-Shyamaa stated traditional healers have been accused of being involved in these murders even though they have denied this accusation and said that those who are involved in these acts are witches.

The Head Teacher of this primary school in Pongwe, Paulo Shechambo stated that currently the school has a total of 1,063 out of whom 23 are albinos and 68 students are blind.

The poverty of Tanzania stuns EU Ambassador

2010-05-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

This article first appeared in a Kiswahili newspaper (NIPASHE). It was translated for this blog by Jean Burke.
Head of Delegation of the European Commission (EU) in Tanzania, Ambassador Tim Clarke, said he hasn’t see any changes in the efforts made to lift the country out of poverty and bring development to its citizens over the last twenty years.

Ambassador Clarke gave this statement at a conference to stand up for those people who are forgotten, recognized as “marginalized groups”, held in the Social Welfare Institute, in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

The conference was organised by the Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA) in cooperation with EU, as part of the 10-year celebrations since the Union was established.

The conference aimed to provide an opportunity to understand these groups, their needs, and how they support themselves and how the EU will be able to assist them out of poverty.

“I came to Tanzania 20 years ago, and then left. The agricultural situation which was in the villages at that time, is still the same. We can’t make economic changes and emerge from poverty without an agricultural revolution,” said Ambassador Clarke.

He highlighted things which must be done to remove poverty including identifying groups which are marginalized, to have one vision and raising voices together in making demands and in bringing changes in the situation in the country.

This statement came from the conference by Ambassador Clarke with the Executive Officer of Tamwa, Ananilea Nkya, after speaking with the ambassador during a short break during conference discussions when each participant was able to exchange ideas with others sitting next to them about how to lift these people from poverty.

Firstly, at this conference Ambassador Clarke stated the EU program in the country aims mainly to help the government reduce poverty.

“Are we really doing this? It’s an important question to ask ourselves, are the poor becoming poorer, and the rich becoming richer?” he asked.

He wanted conference participants and Tanzanians in general to explain clearly to the Union and other development partners how they will be able to improve their live.

“This is your conference. Tell us how we and other development partners can improve your lives,” Ambassador Clarke said.

When presenting on the topic of “the way bribes affect the albino woman” at the conference, an entrepreneur from an albino group, Nasra Mbonea, said the kickbacks have been the main source of murders against people with albinism (albino) in the country because some of the wealthy tempt people to carry out these cruel acts.

She said apart from these cruel murders, some people in the community show stigma towards albino as a result of superstition and backward customs, moreover the cream which helps care for their skin (albino), is sold for a high price.

Nasra said stigma against albinos has reached a very bad stage with their bodies and skin being used by some people as a way to make an economic profit due to backward beliefs.

“If Albinos start a business, like selling food, people don’t buy from them. They avoid even giving them a lift in their car out of fear if there is an accident the person who gave them the lift may appear to be taking them to sell or kill them. Currently there is a belief which has emerged in society that, if you go with (have sex) with an albino you will be cured from AIDS or become rich, we are stigmatized a lot,” said Nasra.

She said if she was the President of Tanzania, she would punish anyone who gets a guilty judgement from court for cutting an albino child, by cutting off both their hands, instead of sentending them to jail, which she said only cares for them by providing food free bought out of citizen’s taxes.

When delivering a presentation about "education for the blind in Tanzania ", Shella Gailos said the actual educational situation is not in line with improvements needed because blind women do not benefit, they are faced with challenges of poor quality learning and teaching equipment; some said Mathematics and Science lessons are not taught in secondary schools for the blind.

In her presentation on the topic of “the situation of disabled people in the economy”, an entrepreneur from the Sebo group in Mikocheni, of Dar es Salaam city, Cecilia Masika, said the economic situation of a person with disability is dismal compared to someone without a disability, especially for women, because many of them don’t receive primary school education.

Also, she said employment for people with disabilities is still a problem because of the assumption that they can’t work.

She said statistics of disabled people indicate only 736 people are employed by the government and that, they have visited 51 extraction factories and witnessed only one employed disabled person.

She said this situation has forced many educated disabled people into the private sector, where they fail to support themselves due to lack of education about this sector.

And the musician of The Seven Blind Beats Band, Boniface Kiyenzi, said if he was President of Tanzania, he would establish a Ministry of People with Special Needs rather than the current situation only of a department of social welfare which doesn’t provide complete services because they are not given adequate grants for the needs of the groups involved.

Many participants contributed to this conference and they recommended emphasising education for groups of people with disabilites; including lame people, the blind, the deaf and albinos. Also, to strengthen communication between various service providers, such as courts, police and hospitals.

Albino Killings have to End

2010-05-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Article courtesy of Daily News newspaper, Tanzania

MORE incidents of albino killings continue to be reported in Tanzania and neighbouring Burundi, giving out signals that the shameful trade in their body parts has not waned despite local and international outrage.

Records show that at least 57 people with albinism were murdered in different parts of the country since 2007 and earlier this week, a 28 year-old albino woman and her four year-old son were killed at a village near the Burundi border with Tanzania.

The two victims had their limbs and organs hacked off by a gang and the boy's non-albino grandfather who intervened to stop them was killed on the spot.

Authorities in Burundi reportedly say there had been a total 14 murders in the central African country so far.

Analysts and human rights activists say these are only the documented cases as the numbers are likely to be much higher.

It is sad that more albinos are still being murdered after seven people linked to the practice were sentenced to death.

Various institutions including the government, religious organisations, media and other stakeholders have for the last three years been involved in public education campaign against the killings.

It is unfortunate that there are some people who believe that albino body parts can be used to concoct lucky or wealth-enhancing charms and killers on many occasions go for limbs, genitals, ears, nose and tongues.

Recent killings should now serve as a wake up call for people to be more vigilant and address the problem by stepping public education and interrogate thoroughly all suspects.

The government should see to it that cases pending in court must be disposed of as soon as possible so that any conviction would serve as a lesson that crime does not pay.

APPETITE FOR ALBINO BODY PARTS CONTINUES UNABATED IN TANZANIA AND BURUNDI: 7 MORE SLAUGHTERED IN JUST WEEKS

2010-05-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

Under the Same Sun Press Release - May 5, 2010

It is Sunday May 2, 2010 and night has fallen on the quiet village of Cankunko in the Cendajuru
District in the country of Burundi, bordering Tanzania.

Several hand grenades are strategically launched at a simple homestead, a home where a mother and child with albinism live peacefully. The loud explosion rocks the family from their sleep. Nine armed men rapidly and forcefully engage in a savage rampage. Wielding machetes, they hack off all the limbs they can grab. Their sinister appetite for albino body parts is fueled by a lucrative trade linked to thepractice of witchcraft in the region. Yet to be named, wealthy consumers (commonly referred to as “honorable”) keep this trade alive, believing it will yield them power and wealth. Once the wild, blood thirsty campaign of carnage stops,the murderers emerge with a bag full of fresh and bloody body parts, ready to quickly sell at a handsome profit.

Attacked February 8th, Twelve month old Fatma Mohammed displays the 10 centimeter long scar left by her attackers

The human toll is steep. Four year old Desire Vyegura has lost his life. The killers now have
possession of his tongue, one of his eyes, one of his legs and an arm. Susanna Vyegura, his
28 year old albino mother now lays lifeless, with both legs and arms gone. Both of her breasts
have also been violently chopped from her mutilated body. Her non-albino father bravely tried
to stop the killers, but was overpowered and brutally murdered on the spot, according to
Burundian Police Chief Deogratias Ntahompagaze

A family – wiped out – within minutes – all to supply a sinister industry operating in the area.

In the weeks leading up to this Sunday’s carnage, killers struck 5 more times in Tanzania:
On April 26th
, a 13 year old girl, Kabula Nkalango, was attacked, having her hand hacked off.
Fortunately, she survived. On April 18th
, there was the murder of little four-year old Naimana Daudi. Her body mutilated,
robbed of her left arm and leg, she was left to bleed to death.
On April 10th
, there was the attempted murder of 41 year old Said Abdallah, a quiet farmer, who
had his left hand violently chopped off. He lay unconscious for hours bleeding. He narrowly
survived.

On February 8th
tiny, innocent, 12 month old baby Fatma Mohammed was attacked, sustaining
a 10 centimeter gash along her leg and thigh – in the killer’s vile attempt to dismember her. Her
mother, Rukia, also an albino, received severe head injuries, in their attempt to also dismember
her.

Peter Ash with 12 month old Fatma and her mother Rukia
This brings the total in Tanzania to 57
murders and 6 attempted murders, where
victims lost limbs. In Burundi, the total is 14
murders. These are only the documented
cases. The numbers are likely much higher –
estimates suggesting well over a hundred in
the last 2 years.

On this battlefield stands East Africa’s people
with albinism. Hundreds and Thousands of
them living in a state of total fear. Afraid to
sleep in their homes. Fearful to walk in their
villages. Often unwilling to attend school for
fear of threats and attack.

This continuing crisis has been met with loud cries for justice
by the United Nations, The United States, the European
Union and other nations and civil society groups. Joining
these voices is Under The Same Sun (UTSS), an
International NGO based in Canada, with operations in
Tanzania. UTSS continues to decry these atrocities and to
appeal strongly for justice on behalf of the victims.
Furthermore, UTSS (www.underthesamesun.com) appeals
to these international bodies to become a more unified force,
imploring the Tanzanian government to take stronger action
in this war which is defiling human dignity.

Sadly, justice has been far too slow in coming. Of the 63
reported cases in Tanzania, a mere 2 have been brought to
conviction in the last 2 years. In sharp contrast, 12 of
Burundi’s 14 cases have led to convictions. UTSS has
embarked on a variety of educational campaigns in Tanzania
and internationally to confront the discrimination that fuels
these crimes against humanity.
Attacked April 10th
, 41 year old Said Abdallah
lost his hand and forearm in an attempted
murder

This racially driven carnage must end. The perpetrators must be brought to justice quickly.
People with albinism must be granted the same basic human rights of dignity, freedom and
security. UTSS will not rest until that day comes!

For interview requests, please email: media@underthesamesun.com or telephone: +604-587-6502.

Al-Shaymaa, Kimaya, announce they will run for parliament in the General Elections

2010-05-07T08:11:00.001-07:00

This post was translated from Kiswahili by Jean Burke, a friend in the fight against albino killings

Presidentially appointed Member of Parliament, Al-Shaymaa John Kwegyir and Chair of the Albino Society of Tanzania, Ernest Kimaya, who are both people with albinism, have announced their intention to run for parliament in the next General Elections.

Talking with residents of Iringa town yesterday during celebrations for the National Day for People with Albinism in Tanzania held in the grounds of the city Gardens, Kimaya said that he intends to run for parliament in the Korogwe Rural province on a CCM ticket.

He stated he had reached this decision so as to fulfil this year’s slogan, which encourages people to come forward and compete.

This year’s slogan is: “Government Election, Albinos have the right to elect and be elected, Let’s come forward”.

In addressing these residents, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, said he’d been given hints by MP Kwegyir of her intention to run for special seats in Tanga. “She says she is grateful President Kikwete appointed her to parliament and now wants to gain special seats,” he stated.

Pinda called for all citizens including those with albinism, to come forward for election in various posts through their political parties.

He wants Tanzanians to realise that people with albinism have a big contribution to society especially if they are supported by fellow humans who don’t have this disability. The commemorations were also attended by representatives of people with albinism from more than 15 regions in the country.

Days for albino murderers numbered

2010-05-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

THE Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, declared in Iringa on Tuesday that the days for albino killers are numbered. He was officiating at the National Albino Day marked at national level in the municipality.

Indeed he said that the government has mobilised itself to protect the safety of the albinos and make them live in peace, harmony and freedom in their country, like all other citizens. Why should other people who, out of avarice to become millionaires overnight, infringe upon the rights of others?

It is unfortunate that this should be happening despite the good moral foundations built by the nation’s founding fathers that earned this country much respect as a peaceful country all over the world.

This good image has in recent years been tainted by a few selfish and cruel individuals or group of people who out of their stupid superstitious belief Read More Here

Crusade against albino killings must continue

2010-05-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

Article courtesy of The Guardian newspaper (Tanzania) 5th May, 2010

Yesterday, May 4 was a solemn day for Tanzanians. It was a day specifically set to remember fellow countrymen and women with albinism who have fallen victims to inhuman killings by people who still believe in superstitions and witchcraft.

It was a day meant to accord an opportunity to the government and the people of this country to undertake a deep assessment on whether they are on the path to taming the inhuman and shameful scourge of albino killings that have done a telling damage to the image of Tanzania.

But more importantly, it was a day on which the government and its people were required to rededicate their commitment to fully supporting people with albinism and safeguard their right to harmonious and threats-free livelihood

We are heartened to note that Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda who graced the occasion at the national commemorations held in Iringa made it clear to all and sundry that while the war against albino killers was not yet won, those who perpetrated the crime should know that their days are numbered.

The Premier told a mass rally that the government was committed to ensuring that albino killings remained history in the not distant future.

We, however, wish to remind Tanzanians that the government alone cannot win this war against cruelty by a human being against another. For this war to be won, there are many potential stakeholders who must be brought fully on-board.

One of the potential stakeholders are religious leaders who are essentially major opinion leaders in any society. They live and work with the people at the grassroots, and together with other influential people in society can tame the traditional healers who are the instigators of this heinous crime.

Religious leaders can also work with non-governmental organizations to preach love among human beings and openly tell those who cling to outdated witchcraft beliefs that albino body parts are not and will never be the wonder miracle to getting rich.

What must be underscored is that although significant steps have been made in the fight against albino killers, a lot remains to be done.

Figures released yesterday indicate that a total of 97,736 people were voted for in a nation-wide poll conducted last year to be involved in various criminal activities, including killing people living with albinism.

While investigations to determine the way forward are ongoing, a total of 3,217 suspected criminals are already in police hands, 295 had been arraigned while 106 have been sentenced on various crimes including involvement in albino killings.

However, only 11 cases involving suspected albino killers have been brought to court out of which three cases had ended with eight people being convicted and sentenced to death and investigations into other 27 incidents of albino killings are ongoing.

As we have had occasion to state, this is in no way a satisfactory performance. This calls for the need to strengthen investigative machinery into these cases of brutality against human beings. This should go hand in hand with mass sensitization that would wipe off the notion that one can get rich by chopping off the hand of a person living with albinism.

Another Albino attacked this week!

2010-04-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

This Monday April 26th, Thirteen year old girl Kabula Nkalango of Luhaga village in Kahama, North-Western Tanzania (Lake Zone) was attacked by three men in her home as she was sleeping with her mother.

Her right hand was chopped off from just above the elbow and is now being treated at the Kahama District Hospital. Her condition is stable. Kahama District Commissioner, retired Major Bahati Matala speaking on the phone to UTSS (Under the Same Sun) Executive Director of Media and International Affairs said that the assailants from Bukombe terrorized the occupiers of the four houses in the compound, and committed the barbaric crime.

They then ordered the family to pour kerosene on the girl’s severed arm ‘to stop bleeding’. When they could not find kerosene, they broke into a shop nearby stole the liquid, handed it to the family members and sped off. Major Bahati informed UTSS Media that two other young men were also injured in the night attack as the machete and other weapons armed attackers raided a nearby shopping centre for cash, telephones and bicycles. Police manhunt is underway.

The hired attackers are told now to ensure that they do not kill the victims. Kabula's assailants told her mother, “Please do not blame us. We have been sent to get the arm.” So they made sure that Kabula does not bleed to death. No blood on their hands!

Albino murders return

2010-04-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

This news article was translated by Jean Burke from Nipashe, a Kiswahili newspaper in Tanzania. It is about the recent killing of an albino child.

At the same time that the wave of murders against people with albinism has died down over recent months, a little girl of four years of age was murdered and her limbs cut off in the village of Kasebuzi, of Kitahana ward, Kibondo district in Kigoma Region.

The District commissioner of Kibondo, Danhi Makanga stated that the child who was murdered was Naimana Daudi who was taken in the dead of night by those killers after puncturing the wall and entering inside where she was asleep with her parents and other relatives.

He said after taking the girl and carrying her a distance of about six hundred meters the people cut off her left leg and arm then disappeared with those limbs and left the child bleeding so the body was found with lots of blood draining out.

Makanga who leads the security and safety committee of this district, has explained to hundreds of locals of the village that the government will hunt for those killers by all means and that this event has shocked the government because of the brutality carried out on this child.

Following this incident the district commissioner of Kibondo district called for a referendum right then and there in which locals participated to nominate people suspected of involvement and who often receive strange visitors in the village.

The child’s father, Daud Juma who also has another albino child aged one and a half years old said they were all sleeping in the room, and they didn’t know what was going on until the time of five in the morning when they wanted to wake the children up to pass water and then they discovered that their child was not inside.

When discussing this, with tears springing up, he said they started shouting for help and when the neighbours woke up they reported to the police who arrived and started working with the villagers following the stream of blood until they found the child’s body which had been abandoned with the left leg and arm cut off.

The head of investigations of Kigoma region, Joseph Konyo said that up to now three people, whose names are withheld, have been arrested by the Kigoma regional police force suspected of involvement in this incident.

This incident takes the number of people with albinism murdered in the Kigoma region since the year before last to reach four.

Mengi calls for faster hearing of albino murder cases

2010-04-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

...as Under the Same Sun (UTSS)launches documentary film on albino killings in the country

Story courtesy of The Guardian Newspaper, Tanzania (April 23, 2010)

IPP Executive Chairman Reginald Mengi has appealed to courts in Tanzania to speed up the hearing of cases involving suspected albino killers so that justice can be done.

He made the call at yesterday’s launch in Dar es Salaam of a documentary film on albino killings in the country prepared by a non-governmental organisation, Under the Same Sun (UTSS).

He said courts were supposed to speed up the process of dealing with cases involving the murder of albinos so that those targeted by the killers can also feel that they have rights just like people who have no disabilities.

“It is hugely unnerving seeing albinos being brutally killed and others having their hands and limbs chopped off, which is evidence of stigmatisation and discrimination in our society and a disgrace before the Lord,” said the IPP Executive Chairman.

He also urged human rights activists to fight for strict observance of the country’s laws, including the rights of people with albinism, and push for justice in all cases of suspected albino killers.

He wondered why albinos were being stigmatised instead of being loved, and called on society to seek an end to albino killings “in the knowledge that all human beings belong to God and have the right to live”.

“Every person is responsible for caring for albinos and stopping the stigmatisation and discrimination which have resulted in their vicious murders,” he said.

UTSS founder and chairman Peter Ash from Canada, currently on yet another working visit to Tanzania, concurred. He said people with skin disability had as much right to live as any other person and it would be totally unfair to stigmatise them.

Not enough done to protect albinos

2010-04-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

Editorial courtesy of The Guardian Newspaper [20th April, 2010]

The spate of albino killings that have rocked the country since 2007 leading to the loss of an estimated 53 innocent lives have done a telling blow to the image of Tanzania to the extent that only a total and successful war against the perpetrators of this heinous crime can repair the damage.

By hunting down and killing persons with albinism in such brutal manner as chopping off their limbs in the belief that the body parts would give one supernatural powers to make quick riches have made Tanzanians be perceived as a society of 21st century savages.

It is an unfortunate position we have found ourselves in as a nation, but which we believe we can disentangle ourselves from if we make hard decisions and execute them decisively.

The actions we have in mind are those that will act as a deterrent against further attacks on the innocent people whose only ‘crime’ is the colour of their skin.

It is precisely because of the need to bring to an end these atrocities that people all over the country had warmly received the February 1, 2010 court ruling in which four men were sentenced to death for albino killings.

The expectations of many people then were that the court ruling would discourage further violent acts being carried out against albinos.

Disappointedly, this has not been the case, and as the President of a Canada-based Non-Governmental Organisation, Peter Ash said over the weekend the killings are now moving closer to the country’s business capital Dar es Salaam which has hitherto been seen as a safe haven for those running away from the dangerous areas in the rural areas.

The Canadian who heads an NGO named Under the Sun (UTSS) and which is committed to the welfare of persons with albinism in Tanzania is of the view that the government has been rather slow in dealing with cases of albino killings.

We agree with Ash’s observation, since the truth remains that out of the 61 cases of albino killings reported in different courts in the country, there are only two convictions so far. At this speed we wonder how long it would take to see justice not only being done but also seen to be done.

We wish to call on the government to speed up the prosecution of all the pending cases. This we believe will act as a deterrent against those who believe they can kill people at will and go scot free.

Most worrying is that the judicial procedures are moving at a snail’s pace when fresh perpetrations are now being reported in areas such as Morogoro and Coast regions, with fears that Dar es Salaam may sooner than later be another scene of man-to-man brutality.

We therefore join UTSS and other stakeholders in appealing to the government not to backtrack on its obligation to provide additional security to people with albinism because it is now evident that they are still targeted for their body parts.

We also wish to commend the Canadian NGO for targeting nine regions to support education for people with albinism and call on other local and international institutions to emulate this goodwill.

Albinos still under threat

2010-04-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

News story courtesy of The Guardian Newspaper, Tanzania (12th April, 2010)

*Man`s palm chopped off by alleged Maasai pastoralists

*It is Morogoro region`s first case since albino killings started

A shocking reminder that people with albinism were still at risk, Maasai pastoralists are alleged to have cut off the palm of a man suffering from the skin disorder in Morogoro Region on Saturday.

The incident which occurred at around 4.15pm at Kibaoni village, Melela ward in Mvomero district, left Said Abdalah (41) without a palm on the left hand.

He was rushed to Morogoro Regional Hospital where he is being treated for the wounds sustained in the attack.

Morogoro Regional Commissioner Issa Machibya confirmed the incident, saying police have launched a manhunt for the attackers.

Machibya said it was the first time an albino was being attacked in the region since the attacks and killings started around the country in 2007, leading to the killings of more than 40 albinos for their body parts and organs.

Police in the region were working hard to arrest the alleged attackers, according the Regional Police Commander Thobias Andengenye when contacted by The Guardian.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Abdallah said he was attacked by four machete-wielding people who had followed him to his farm.

The people carrying machete and sticks hit him on the head, rendering him unconscious, before cutting off his palm.

When he regained consciousness, he was shocked to find his palm missing. He was also bleeding profusely.

“I started crying for help, attracting the attention of a woman passing by the farm, who took me home,” said Abdallah.

However when he reached home he was not able to get any First Aid because he lived alone.

The chairman of Kibaoni hamlet, Asikile Yuda and Good Samaritans helped him to get to hospital for treatment after reporting to the central police where Abdalah was issued with a PF3 Form.

Abdallah said that he had earlier been threatened by pastoralists when he warned them against passing with their livestock through his farm because they destroyed crops.

He said that many pastoralists had invaded the village threatening farmers while their livestock destroyed crops in the farms.

The Secretary General of Tanzania Albino Association Ziada Nsembo said albinos were still unsafe because the attacks had stopped for about eight months but it seems that they had resurfaced.

“Those people who are attacking albinos seem not to fear anything because the death penalty against those who have killed albinos has not been carried out,” she said.

Nsembo said his association was requesting the government to implement the court ruling so that it may serve as a deterrent against those planning to carry out similar acts.

The Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Issa Machibya told The Guardian that the region’s defence and security committee had started discussing the matter to look for ways to arrest the problem before more killings occurred.

He said he had been alerted over looming albino killings and had taken the matter seriously.

“We will heighten vigilance and make sure all albinos in the region are safe and all those planning to attack them are arrested,” the RC said.

For his part, the Kibaoni hamlet chairperson, Yuda said that he had received the complaints and was working on them.

He said that he and his men had carried out a search but they were not able to locate the missing palm.

He noted that it was the first incident to occur in their village despite prevailing bad blood between farmers and pastoralists.

He said that with the help of the government, they would strengthen security in the village in order to arrest the culprits and reassure the albinos who now feared for the lives.

Albino child attacked with machete while on mother’s back

2010-02-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

This article first appeared in Nipashe(a Kiswahili newspaper)on 13th February, 2010 and was translated into English by Jean Burke

An albino infant Fatuma Khalfani (1) was admitted to Tumbi hospital of the Coast region after being seriously injured on her left leg by people suspected of being traders of albino-body parts.

According to the mother, Rukia Khalfani (32), resident of Ruvu of Bagamoyo district, the incident took place at the end of last week when she was outside her home at about 9 pm whilst carrying her child on her back.

Rukia said that when outside, she was suddenly attacked with machetes on her back where her child was being carried, which injured her child on the thigh.
She said she cried out for help but the person attacked with the machete again injuring her child behind the left knee.

"I ran inside but that person, wearing Maasai clothes, continued to follow and hit me with an axe on my thigh and face and then my husband, Mohamed Hussein,who was inside the house, went outside and looked around everywhere but couldn’t see anyone.

She said they then rang the police and went to the Teule hospital for treatment.
Rukia, mother of five children of whom two are albino, has appealed to the government to consider the possibility of renting a room for them outside the area because she is frightened to return to her house due to the frequent threats following the recent emerging wave of albino murders.

"We are progressing well with treatment, and I thank the nurses and doctors, but I fear that when I am discharged, I don’t know where I will go. I am very scared to return. My house is behind a large forest, so I am not at peace because there have been frequent threats that I and my child could be killed."

The Police Commander of the Coast region, Absalom Mwakyoma, said police are investigating this incident to find out whether the attacker was an albino-murderer or an armed robber.

Two caught selling albino body parts

2010-02-07T05:07:00.001-08:00

POLICE in Kagera Region have arrested two people who were allegedly looking for a customer of albino body parts.

Kagera Regional Police Commander (RPC) Henry Salewi told reports in Bukoba that the suspects were arrested with the human body parts....

''The suspects were arrested on Wednesday (February 3). The arrest was made after police got a tip that two residents of Ngara were looking for someone to buy albino body parts"...

...there is an international
criminal network involving suspects in Tanzania and neighbouring Burundi...

Read the Rest Here

ALBINO KILLINGS: Obama asked to put pressure on Kikwete

2010-02-03T05:35:00.001-08:00

Mariamu Stanford talking to a journalist

An American Congressman wants President Barack Obama to put diplomatic pressure on the Kikwete Government to end the albino killings in parts of the country...

The American politician is using the opportunity to raise international attention on the menace in Tanzania, in which over 50 albinos have been killed in the last four years in an orgy fuelled by witchcraft-related beliefs. Some 28 albinos were slaughtered in 2008 alone, according to official government figures...

During her stay in the US, Mariamu and fellow albinos from Northern Virginia met with Mr Connolly, who pledged to introduce a House Resolution, condemning the attacks on people with albinism in East Africa, and to work with American and Tanzanian government officials to stop the killings.

Mariamu travelled to the US last December for two weeks and was fitted with artificial arms donated by Mr Elliot Weintrob of Orthotic Prosthetic Centre in Fairfax, Virginia, and she also underwent intensive physical therapy.

She also met Ms Susan DuBois, who has since formed an organisation in her name and dedicated it to ending the slaughter of people with albinism in East Africa.

The "Asante Mariam" organisation launched in Virginia last week will campaign to increase awareness of the immediate and long-term threats to albinos East Africa.

"As a mother of two children with albinism, I was deeply shaken when I first heard about the killings in Tanzania," said Ms DuBois, the founder and executive director of "Asante Mariamu."

Read the Rest of the ARTICLE HERE

Read Also

Read how this blog first told the Mariam Stanford tragedy

In My Genes [Trailer]

2010-02-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Documentary by Lupita Nyong'o

IN MY GENES Trailer from Lupita Nyong'o on Vimeo.

Life, for Mariam Stanford, will never be the same again

2010-02-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian on Sunday (31st January, 2010)
The 28-year-old woman whose hands were chopped off in a gruesome albino attack in October 2008 is currently in the United States undergoing treatment to receive prosthetic arms.

Mariam Stanford has suffered tremendous strife since thugs left her for dead in her home in Ntubeye village, Ngara district, and made off with her hands, presumably to sell on the black market to those who believe albino body parts bring good luck.

The most basic daily activities that most take for granted are now arduous procedures for Stanford, requiring tremendous patience and poise.

For example, to make a phone call, she slowly places her lips to her cell phone like someone preparing to kiss a lover, and she then dials the number using her mouth before maneuvering the phone to her ears to listen.

Stanford, the mother of a 3-year-old son, now depends on her mother for help doing most things around the house, she said in a recent interview.

"I can't feed myself, I can't wash myself, can't cook or farm,” she said, glancing at the remains of hands. "My life will never be the same again.”

Although Stanford was suffering when she spoke with The Guardian on Sunday just a couple of months ago, a ‘good Samaritan’ flew her to the United States in early December to receive treatment and prosthetic arms, she said. She is expected to return to Tanzania early next month with fully functional mechanical hands.

But no amount of medical treatment will erase the memory of Stanford’s attack that night, on October 18, 2008. Stanford, who was three months pregnant at the time, had eaten dinner with her family before wishing them a good night like any other nights, but little did she know that one of her neighbours was planning to kill her that night.

“What pains me more is that the very same neighbour who has lived near me for years is the one who did this to me,” Stanford said. “Though as a Christian I am taught to forgive seven times seventy, whenever I look at my chopped hands, it becomes very hard for me to forgive those who attacked me. Hopefully God will judge them one day in heaven.”

Though she had been horrified by the killings of albinos that had been escalating in Tanzania's Lake Victoria region, Stanford had never imagined that her neighbour whom she had known for two decades, would see her body as a source of profit.

In her tiny grass-roofed and mud-built house, Stanford locked the doors and went to bed with her two younger sisters and her son, expecting to wake up safely in the morning ready to continue with daily activities.

But on that day her name was on the killers' list who were promised Shs 6 million ($4400) if they could manage to get away with Stanford’s body organs.

"It was around 1am or midnight when I heard people knocking roughly on my door, before they managed to get inside my house," she recalled.

"I tried to cry for help but suddenly my eyes met a sharp torch's light...I saw my neighbour holding a bush knife which he used to attack me."

"He cut my left hand — I cried for help but fell down on the floor before he cut my right hand," Stanford said. “I saw my death coming...I tried to shout loudly for my parents, but no one came."

"I didn't know that when my attacker entered my room, the others had surrounded my parents' house to ensure that nobody came to help me," she said.

After the killers left with Stanford’s hands, her parents finally rushed into her house ready to help, but they were shocked to find her lying in a pool of her own blood.

"I told them that I know my attacker...he is our neighbour," she said. "My parents quickly went to his home and found this man trembling with fresh blood stains on his clothes...they arrested and beat him but he declined to disclose who his accomplices were."

It took nearly five hours to get Stanford to the nearby hospital for treatment. She suffered a miscarriage because of the ordeal.

“That’s how I escaped from hell,” she said as she finished her harrowing account, adding that she is disappointed that over a year since she was attacked the suspects are yet to be convicted. The albino attacks may have stopped recently, but the devastation they have caused still haunts hundreds of victims and their families.

Stanford’s biggest fear is that some of the suspects, who are currently out of jail, may return to kill her before they stand to testify in court in the next few months.

“These are very powerful people who have money…I still fear that they might come after me one day,” she said. “Look at where I live right now, there’s nothing that can stop them from reaching me except God…I have left everything to God.”

Anyone out there?

2010-01-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

There are times I feel like a lone ranger when I am doing this blog. Why? You may ask. I think it is the feeling that there is very little that seems to be done about the prejudices people have of albinos.

It is a crazy feeling altogether, but I guess I am speaking my mind when I say this. People seem not to care about what our brothers and sisters, the albinos, are going through in Tanzania.

I would expect people to have changed by now, but the animosity continues and as someone rightly said: “It is not over until it is over.” I think that is true judging from what is happening on the ground.

Being a teacher, I meet with different people. People with different perspectives; people with different ways of looking at things. And, sometimes, I feel helpless when the children I teach tell me things that they were told by their parents about albinos.

And I can assure you that most of the stuff that children are told by their parents is not good. They are told to hate albinos; to look down upon them and to call them names.

In fact, some of them admitted to me that they wouldn’t be comfortable if their parents knew that they had talked to someone about what they were told.

Is there anyone out there who can talk sense to such parents, parents who "wreck" their children’s lives by poisoning them with the drivel that albinos are to be avoided like the plague. Please someone drum some sense into such people.

Is there really anyone out there?

Help needed: School struggles to educate Albino children

2010-01-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

Some of the pupils at Mitindo Primary School in Misungwi District, Mwanza Region

The school needs special textbooks for blind pupils and those with impaired vision due to albinism. Mr Hirani says that there was need for increased campaign locally to encourage people support less fortunate members of the society, including albino children. Albinos need hats and sunglasses to protect them from the sun. They also need lotion to avoid damage of their delicate skin.

People can effectively support albino youths upon proper mobilisation. There are reports that the nation is currently spending up to 90bn/- annually on weddings and other profligate activities.

AT the age of 16 years, Richard Feruzi, a boy from Ilemela District in Mwanza Region, dreams of being a politician cum human rights activist.

Richard, is an albino and in Standard Seven at Mitindo Primary School in Misungwi District, some 40kms south of Mwanza city.

He has already composed dozens of songs in condemnation of perpetrators of killings of albinos and several others in praise of the leadership of the country.

"I can play a big role in global campaigns against discrimination in whatever its form, as well as promotion of peace and love," says Richard, who has been a pupil at Mitindo since 2004.

He says that the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda and the National Assembly Speaker, Mr Samuel Sitta, were among the people whom have inspired him to become a politician.

Richard is one of 105 pupils with albinism at Mitindo special centre in Misungwi district, which was initially established in 1956 as a middle school before becoming an upper primary school in 1967.

Mitindo Primary School Head teacher, Mr Juma Abdallah, says it introduced vocational training in 1975, some three years later it started to admit blind pupils and in 1989 began to enrol those with albinism.

Mr Abdallah adds recently that the school was currently having a total of 1,134 pupils, out of them 86 in pre-school classes and six on vocational training programmes like masonry and carpentry.

He says out of 147 disabled pupils, 42 were blind and the rest were those with albinism. The headmaster lists several challenges faced by the school including the influx of pupils during the last three years, following increased killings of albinos, since many parents brought their children to the centre for security purposes....

WORD FOR JOURNALISTS...

Can the media investigate this place and make the public know about its authenticity. The only person who has pursued Shilinde story is Vicky Ntetema of the BBC, but unfortunately the Tanzanian media has not seen Vicky as a hero, and thus collaborate with her in the fight against albino killings.

Vicky went to Magu where she was told that the Gambusi Kuzimu had vanished many years ago, but if she wanted to see it, the heavies in the witchcraft could give her some medicine which will lead her into the village which Shilinde who wants to be called Daniel now says they have all professionals, all means of transport and everything you would find in a modern city.

The task of Tanzanian journalists is to find the witchdoctors who are peddling albino killings and not looking for the city of wizardry.
Read the Rest Here

Religious denominations condemn albino murders

2010-01-14T06:38:00.000-08:00

Islamic and Christian denominations within the country have strongly condemned murders of albinos and the elderly. They said people who perpetrate such killings are sick in the head and want them to stop such notions immediately.

From discussion yesterday in Dar es Salaam in the conference organised by Muslim and Christian followers, leaders of these religions joined together in declaring cooperation with the Government in fighting the war against these murders.

At this conference, Evangelist Moses Ndimbo from the Evangelists Fellowship of Tanzania, said there is no short-cut to becoming wealthy and that the only way to accumulate wealth is to work hard: there is no other way.

He said the act of traditional healers deceiving citizens that they will gain wealth by killing albinos and the elderly is unacceptable because there is no truth at all that success follows from killing a person.

“I request the Government to cancel all permits and boards of traditional healers and ban the display of such boards, which motivate citizens to go to the healer,” he said.
For his part, Dr. Sule Seif from the National Muslim Council of Tanzania (BAKWATA), was astonished to see people believing superstitious beliefs in this century of science and technology.

He said Muslims and Christians will work together to eliminate these acts and have prepared strategies to go throughout the whole country educating citizens about what God says about murder and murderers.

On giving a word of thanks, Treasurer of the Albino Association of Tanzania, Abdilah Abdular, congratulated these efforts and asked religious leaders to preach especially in village areas unreached by religion.

“Many healers have no religion and that’s why they are able to advise such brutality, I ask religious leaders to reach village areas where many of them are so they can know God.” he said.

District Commissioner orders a count of all albinos

2010-01-04T05:50:00.000-08:00

Translated from Nipashe Newspaper by Jean Burke

The district commissioner of Lindi, Magalula Said Magalula, has directed division and ward officers to list the number of all albino people, with the aim of enabling the government to plan strategies to protect their safety.

Magalula gave this instruction, when opening the meeting of the Lindi district advisory committee, conducted in the council hall of Lindi village, on 23rd December last year.

He said, due to the brutal acts carried out against albinos, there is a need for district leadership to have accurate statistics, including understanding where albinos live, and the parents, relatives and neighbours who live with them.

Magalula stated the purpose in carrying out this census, apart from knowing their situation with regards to security, is a result of suspicions that some parents, relatives and neighbours cooperate with murderers in killing albinos out of greed for money.

He said that having a complete register available will help this government district one way or another, to know where albinos live, the security of their situation and to see how the government can assist their protection or when they encounter problems.

Since the wave of albino murders has erupted in the country, the death of one albino has taken place in Lindi district. The body was found floating in Lukuledi river one year ago.

Lindi Region, is estimated to have more than 700,000 residents, and it is claimed to have more than 170 albinos.

Expose those behind albino murders, Tanzania urged

2009-12-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

* MP says politicians use witchdoctors

* Warns albino killings will increase ahead of elections

* High Court says two trials have been stopped

Rights campaigners say Tanzania must lift a shroud of secrecy surrounding wealthy buyers who commission albino killings for witchcraft, after one lawmaker admitted many politicians use witchdoctors themselves...Click Here to Read the Rest

Tanzanian albinos shelter in terror from killers

2009-12-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

In remote northwest Tanzania, two parents sob for their 10-year-old albino son, who was beheaded to stop him screaming by men who then hacked off his leg in front of his father.

The family had previously tried to have their boy registered at a school where many albinos shelter but he was refused entry because it was full...Click Here to Read the Rest

Get to know How you can send donations to Albinos in Tanzania

2009-11-23T08:54:00.000-08:00

Check out the following link for information on how and where to send donations to Albinos in Tanzania:

Want to send donations to Albinos in Tanzania? Here's how

Donor and delegation kept waiting at school

2009-11-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Canadian philanthropist Peter Ash, who is an albino, smears sunscreen lotion on the hands of a pupil at Mitindo Primary School in Misungwi District, Mwanza Region, on Saturday. Pastor Ash was kept waiting outside the school for over two hours before he was finally let in

Canadian donor was at the weekend temporarily barred from visiting a primary school in Misungwi District in Mwanza Region.

Mr Peter Ash and his delegation and several local and foreign journalists were stopped at the gate of Mitindo Primary School, which has over 100 pupils with albinism.

The visitors were only allowed in after speaking on the phone with Mwanza Regional Commissioner Abbas Kandoro, over two hours after arriving at the school...Read the Rest Here

Missing link in Albino killings

2009-11-23T08:40:00.000-08:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian Newspaper Tanzania

"...the only missing link in the pyramid of albino killers is the rich man who looks for albino human parts"

A Canadian-based human rights group has questioned Tanzania's commitment to stop albino killings for failing to name the forces behind the macabre acts.

Peter Ash, President and founder of a Canadian-based NGO observed here on Friday that the only missing link in the pyramid of albino killers is the rich man who looks for albino human parts.

“So far, it is traditional healers and killers that have been named and brought to justice. We want the consumers, the rich that can afford million of shillings to be named” said Ash.

Ash was addressing an International Press Conference at Nyawilimwa village after laying a wreath on the grave of a ten-year child Gasper Elkana, who was brutally murdered and his leg chopped off at Geita District, Mwanza Region by unidentified assailants.

Gasper, who had gone out for a short-call escorted by his father at around 20 hours on the night of October 23, 2009, was slashed by a machete and when his guarding father made an attempt to help him, he too was hit on the head and wounded seriously.

“I read about Gasper’s death with profound shock and imagined the calamity as having struck my family, because this family and mine have so many things in common. The age of Elkana Gasper’s father and I tally and so do the late and my son’s, ” he said.

At least 54 Tanzanian albinos have been murdered since 2007, with most of the killings taking place in the remote northwest regions of Shinyanga and Mwanza, where superstition runs deep.

The High Court, sitting in Shinyanga municipality to preside over cases involving albino killings, delivered its first judgement in September where it convicted and sentenced to death three accused persons.

Reading the ruling, which lasted about an hour, High Court Judge Gabriel Rwakibalila said the court was satisfied that the evidence tendered by the prosecution side proved beyond reasonable doubt that three of the convicts were involved in the killings of the ablbino.

The same court early this month, delivered its second judgment by convicting and sentencing to death by hanging four accused persons.

The immediate reaction to the ruling by some sections was to dismiss it as a non-starter. However, it restored the trust of many people in the country’s judicial system. Meanwhile, chairman of Tanzania Albino Society (TAS) Mwanza Region Alfred Kapole wants the government to speed up the pending albino cases.

He expressed disappointment that the cases have stalled for the second time for lack of funds.

Albinos lack pigment in their eyes, skin or hair, making their life difficult in Africa where there is plenty of sunshine and they are more susceptible to skin cancer and sunburn.

Impassioned Plea: Please reduce the Red Tape!

2009-11-22T18:54:00.000-08:00

I watched on TV the almost insurmountable red tape that Peter Ash had to contend with the other day when he went to deliver donations to a school that has albino children in Misungwi district in Mwanza.

His entourage was locked out and it seems there were express orders from high up not to allow them to get in and deliver the donations.

When Mwanza Regional Commissioner, Abbas Kandoro, heard what had happened, he called the officials on the ground at the school and asked them to allow the donations to be delivered.

We at this blog ask: Must this red tape persist?

The officials on the ground know that the albinos at the school, and in other parts of the country, are in dire need of some things that would make life a bit bearable for them. Why, then, should there be opposition when someone finds it in his heart to donate such things to them?

Furthermore, Peter Ash, being an albino, knows what his brothers and sisters, the albinos, need. Thus, his gesture of donating to them should be received with open arms.

Our advice: Guys, please reduce the red tape!.

Albino killings and the death sentence: All murder cases are not equal, are they?

2009-11-07T05:19:00.000-08:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper Tanzania (7/11/2009)

By Ani Jozen

Rapid convictions and sentencing of suspects of albino killings in Shinyanga region have put activists for the abolishment of the death penalty on a tight spot, as society generally was gratified that their hanging would send a solid message to other hunters of albinos’ organs.

The death penalty abolition lobby, at pains to change societal attitudes which are overly uninterested in making criminals better people and prefer to get them out of the way, and where relevant by death, are rushing in. This is vital.

The question is vital because if society will be convinced of the futility of hanging those convicted of involvement in killings of skin-disabled people, the most grotesque spate of criminality the country has seen for a while yet, they will have succeeded in discrediting the death penalty itself.

If it is possible to spare albino killings convicts of their carrying out of their sentences, then it is potentially likely that it will be possible to seek formal halting of application of such sentencing. So far it’s a private decision.

No such moratorium (freezing) has been declared on application of death penalties, but the president just hasn’t felt it proper to sign any of the pending sentences.

Activists insist that so long as no such sentences has been applied in the past 16 years, then none will be applied, in which case it is proper to affirm the irrelevance of the sentences in the pursuit either of justice or of alleviating criminality by correcting offenders. Yet it is clear that when issues of death sentence arise, correction is not an option.

The principal argument about the application of the death sentence is that error can’t be ruled out 100 per cent in any conviction, and that unconsidered evidence could arise in future to invalidate the view that the convict was sufficiently responsible for that event.

If the sentence would have been carried out already, the damage is irreparable, so it is better that presumably correctly sentenced people should live than wrongly sentenced people put to death, even if that is rare. No wrongful death is too rare to count.

It isn’t surprising that the sentencing of convicts of albino killings brings out activists against the death penalty, as if they don’t combat this particular spate of convictions – which have a high likelihood of being carried out – they lose the battle altogether.

They don’t intend to create a ‘Kafkaesque’ situation or say one that is close to Animal Farm, the harrowing contradiction of ‘no animal shall sleep on a bed – with sheets.’ They would have to adapt their slogan to ‘abolish the penalty, except for albino killers.’

Yet this is precisely what is refreshing about the debate, as to whether it is of any use at the moment to tell society that even those who hack innocent people for selling of their body parts should be retained in this or that prison.

And especially if the issue is that they will change and become better people, it is hard to see how that becomes convincing to the breadth of society – that they will not be wishing to earn a million shillings for several albino body parts. There is acute need for deterrence as the moment.

The judiciary and the government at a wider level are still smarting from a tormenting somersault on the traders and taxi driver killings by police officers. Letting the albino murderers would send a signal to others that all they risk is eating unbalanced diet in jail, and they retain a chance of being loose again, since ‘where there is life there is hope.’ It would mean that the government passes up a good opportunity for showing to the world it intends to ameliorate its shattered image, from albino killings.

Activists will be confronted with this consideration, since it is far more positive for the government to rectify the country’s image about injustice to albinos than worrying about justice or presumed right to life of their convicted killers.

At times those convicted faced hostile evidence from their own wives as to how they went about seeking out or grabbing the children they hacked to death, a line of evidence no future ‘fact’ can unsettle as to guilt on that account. There are few ‘rare’ facts that are likely here.

One could of course be accused of being simplistic as to whether any case in law is completely closed such that no fact could be unearthed in future to unsettle it.

The response however may not be that far off, as this is also covered by democracy, that elected officials, when acting fairly and receiving clear and distinctive legal advice on a particular case, can examine each case on its own merit. For instance if a conviction includes corroborating evidence by those who are close to the convict, it is deemed safe.

When however one has been convicted entirely on the basis of evidence adduced in court by strangers, and close ones like wife or siblings remained deeply skeptical of that evidence, such person may be placed in life imprisonment but no execution take place.

Just as there can’t be a blanket fear of new and unsettling evidence, so also is it necessary not to rule out such evidence simply because the issue is albino killings. If a proper rule of thumb is placed on that specific detail no miscarriage of law is likely.

That also means it is hard to defend the ‘no death penalty’ maxim in a blanket manner, unless it was presumed that no crime merits suffering death as punishment.

This too is covered in law and would tend to place albino killings at a different level from murder generally, as the latter is quite often tied to conflict, and at times in situations where the assailant was also in danger, and yet the law qualifies such conviction for the death penalty.

That could of course be commuted to life imprisonment, but when a man has cynically, even in the testimony of his wife, gone about harvesting body parts with a panga, the rest of us can be forgiven for not treating him on a par with human beings. He wouldn’t deserve it.

Albino killings: Govt to `smoke out` all suspects

2009-11-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

Snapshots

Several other legislators also contributed to debate on the matter, saying the killings had tarnished Tanzania’s image to the extent that the country was now considered insensitive to human rights or incapable of guaranteeing the safety of some of its people.

Others recommended that court proceedings be accelerated and convicts be punished without delay since those who had their loved ones so brutally killed had begun questioning the government’s capacity to deal with serious crime.

.................... ........................
Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper Tanzania

The government has vowed to “smoke out of their hideouts” all people suspected of murdering, maiming, intimidating or harassing albinos for whatever reason.

It has also announced that it will do all that is in power to “sever once and for all the alliance between these evil-minded people and the witchdoctors misleading them into committing the crimes”.

The promise comes from Home Affairs deputy minister Khamis Kagasheki, who told the National Assembly here yesterday that nine of the 90 albino killer suspects currently in custody are traditional healers.

Responding to a question by Special Seat legislator Maria Hewa, who demanded clarification from the government on the number of people arrested so far in connection with albino killings, Kagasheki said police had taken “aggressive measures” and held a number of suspects.

“Between June 2007 and March 2009, a total of 90 suspects had already been put in custody and brought to justice,” he said.

He added: “Investigations are continuing on 17 cases in the Lake Victoria zone, nine cases are pending in the High Court, two have already been decided and seven accused have been convicted and sentenced to death in Shinyanga Region. Four accused were found guilty as recently as Monday this week and sentenced to death.”

In a supplementary question, the legislator called on the government to make sure that all suspected albino killers were taken “to where they belong (custody) alongside their acquaintances pretending to be traditional healers”.

Several other legislators also contributed to debate on the matter, saying the killings had tarnished Tanzania’s image to the extent that the country was now considered insensitive to human rights or incapable of guaranteeing the safety of some of its people.

Others recommended that court proceedings be accelerated and convicts be punished without delay since those who had their loved ones so brutally killed had begun questioning the government’s capacity to deal with serious crime.

Can the death sentence deter Albino killings?

2009-11-05T12:51:00.000-08:00

“Hangings cannot put albino killings to an end. The death penalty is not reliable enough as a solution. We need to think of better and more definitive ways out”

“Even after the first group of people suspected of murdering albinos was sentenced to death by hanging, there was no improvement in the situation. There was no noticeable change in people’s behaviour. Instead, more and more albinos were murdered in Geita and several other parts of the Lake Victoria zone”

`Battle` Over Death Penalty Once More

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper Tanzania

Physical protection is a much better way of ensuring the safety of albinos than sentencing to death people behind their killings, human rights activists have insisted.

Harold Sungusia, public engagement coordinator with the Dar es Salaam-based Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), said in an interview with this paper on Tuesday that there was no country where capital punishment had served as an effective enough deterrent to homicide.

He was speaking in the recent sentencing to death by the High Court of several people found guilty of killing albinos.

“Even after the first group of people suspected of murdering albinos was sentenced to death by hanging, there was no improvement in the situation. There was no noticeable change in people’s behaviour. Instead, more and more albinos were murdered in Geita and several other parts of the Lake Victoria zone,” he said.

He added: “That was enough proof that the death penalty is not a lasting solution and that it does not scare anyone into treating albinos as normal humans.”

Sungusia, a lawyer, said capital punishment fell short on three counts as a deterrent – “changing offenders into good law-abiding people, ensuring that one does not relapse into crime, and ensuring that convicts rejoin their communities rehabilitated on completion of their punishment.

He noted that some people were sentenced to death for crimes they had not committed and that it was “simply not practicable” for people hanged after being convicted to enjoy their rights should evidence absolving them be made available after they are hanged.

“Hangings cannot put albino killings to an end. The death penalty is not reliable enough as a solution. We need to think of better and more definitive ways out,” he added.

But Sungusia stated that Tanzanian laws gave the courts the power to sentence albino killers and all other murderers to death.

“Even if the President decides to sign warrants effectively sanctioning the hanging of murder convicts, he would be perfectly right because that is provided for by our laws,” he pointed out.

He elaborated: “The problem lies in the laws we have. Some are so hopelessly outdated and therefore so bad that they call for urgent amendment or scrapping,” he said, adding that there was also “an urgent need to shift from criminology to victimology in order to restore justice in the society”.

LHRC director Francis Kiwanga similarly noted that the nation has failed to arrest the killings of albinos and that the death penalty has not been implemented in Tanzania in the last 16 or so years.

“The failure to actually hang murder convicts to death for this long means that there is no need to continue embracing the death sentence. Rather, we should concentrate on ways of controlling the killings of albinos,” he added.

But law professor Abdallah Safari trashed suggestions that the death penalty be abolished, saying those recommending as much were uncritical advocates of western philosophies.

“There is no way I can buy those suggestions. Rising numbers of countries I know are very seriously contemplating reinstating capital punishment. How strange it is that there are Tanzanians bent on doing the opposite!” he said.

Prof Safari said abolishing capital punishment would be going against religious and most other social norms “because all the holy books support the death penalty”.

However, he explained that sentence ought to be executed “only when there was no alternative way of getting a solution to the problem on the strength of which the sentence was passed”.

He insisted that in extreme cases like the killings of innocent albinos, the death penalty was easily the most logical way of dealing with the problem.

Another legal expert, Dr Edmund Sengondo Mvungi, was of the view that the question of whether to retain the death penalty was “a long-standing issue as far as the Holy Books and schools of law are concerned”.

He too said he did not view capital punishment as an effective enough deterrent in cases involving murder, adding: “Albino killings have their roots in traditional beliefs, and this makes the crime extremely difficult to kick out of society. It is like planning to end trading in narcotics,” he said.

He elaborated: “I must state categorically that it is just not right to kill an albino or anyone else because doing so deprives the victims of their basic right to life. But it would be equally not right to sentence murder convicts to death because that too would mean denying them their basic right to life.”

Dr Mvungi stressed that it would be neither right nor proper to use “the principle of negation in seeking solutions to problems”, and called on society “to appreciate the fact that albinos need and deserve as much love, protection and feeling of belonging from their respective communities as everyone else”.

“These people are a minority, they are desperate and they lack protection. Therefore they badly need social integration and recognition,” he said.

The High Court of Tanzania, sitting in Shinyanga Region specifically to preside over cases involving albino killings, delivered its second judgment on Monday by convicting four accused persons and sentencing them to death by hanging.

Judge Gadi Mjemas sentenced Mboje Mawe, Chenyenye Kishiwa, Sayi Gamaya and Sayi Mafizi, all residents of Nkindwabiye village in Bariadi District, Shinyanga Region.

They were charged with having conspired and killed Lyaku Wille (50) of Nkindwabiye village between November and December last year.

In its first ruling in September this year, the court similarly convicted and sentenced three accused persons. Judge Gabriel Rwakibalila delivered the judgment, saying the court was satisfied that the evidence presented by the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt the involvement of the three convicts in the killings.

He said the trio conspired and killed schoolboy Matatizo Dunia (13), an albino, on December 1 last year at Bunyihuna village in Shinyanga Region’s Bukombe District.

Those found guilty and are now on death row are Masumbuko Madata (32) of Itunga Village, Emmanuel Masangwa (28) of Bunyihuna Village and Charles Kalamuji alias Charles Masangwa (42) of Nanda Village, all in Bukombe District. The court ruled that they committed the crime as per Section 16 of Criminal Act No. 196, as amended in 2002.

The pronouncement of the first death sentence against albino killers (in Shinyanga in September last year) was greeted with jubilation among people who thronged the High Court set up in the area specifically for the purpose.

However, most lawyers interviewed said implementation of the death sentence was not as easy as people thought because it would have to be preceded by a fairly long process lasting between three to four years.

It was explained that before those on death row were hanged to death, a panel of judges would have to deliberate on the ruling. They would then submit a report to a special jury that would, in turn, advise the President on whether to assent to the court’s ruling that the convicts be hanged to death.

Four more albino killers sentenced to death

2009-11-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper Tanzania

The High Court of Tanzania sitting in Shinyanga region specifically to preside over cases of albino killings, delivered its second judgment yesterday by convicting and sentencing to death by hanging four accused persons.

Delivering the judgment which lasted almost four hours, High Court judge Gadi Mjemas sentenced Mboje Mawe, Chenyenye Kishiwa, Sayi Gamaya and Sayi Mafizi, all residents of Nkindwabiye village in Bariadi district, Shinyanga region to be hanged to death.

He said the four conspired and killed Lyaku Wille (50) of Nkindwabiye village between November and December last year.

Judge Mjemas said he was convinced beyond reasonable doubt based on evidence adduced from DNA results conducted by a government chemist, Gloria Machube that matched blood stains found on the weapons which were in the accused possession, that none other than the accused committed the offence.

The judge said despite an inconsequential mix-up of some facts in submissions by the prosecution side, “the truth remained intact and hence the fairness of the judgment delivered by this court against the accused”.

Defence lawyer John Mwigula said he was not satisfied with the ruling against his clients and would appeal.

The court heard from prosecution witnesses that the accused immersed into water the late Lyaku before cutting his head and legs and disappearing with them, and that the body was found buried near Mboje Mawe’s house.

In its first ruling in September this year, the High Court sitting in Shinyanga sentenced to death three accused persons, making seven in total.

Delivering the judgment, which lasted about an hour, High Court Judge Gabriel Rwakibalila said the court was satisfied that the evidence presented by the prosecution side proved beyond reasonable doubt the involvement of the three convicts in the killings.

He said the trio conspired and killed schoolboy Matatizo Dunia (13), an albino, on December 1, last year at Bunyihuna village in Shinyanga Region’s Bukombe District.

Those found guilty and now on death row are Masumbuko Madata (32) of Itunga Village, Emmanuel Masangwa (28) of Bunyihuna Village and Charles Kalamuji alias Charles Masangwa (42) of Nanda Village, all in Bukombe District. The court ruled that they committed the crime as per Section 16 of Criminal Act No. 196, as amended in 2002.

4 more to hung for Albino murder

2009-11-04T07:11:00.001-08:00

THE High Court in Shinyanga Region yesterday sentenced to death by hanging four people, who were charged with killing a 10-year-old albino, Lyaku Willy, at Kidamlida River at Nkwindwabuye Village in Bariadd District last year.

This brings to seven the number of people so far sentenced to death after they were convicted of murder of albinos...Read the Rest Here

90 people arrested in connection to Albino killings

2009-11-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

A total of 90 people have been arrested and taken to court in connection to the killing of Albino people in the country in the period between June 2007 and March 2009...Read the Rest Here

Albinos in Exile under new Threat

2009-11-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

"I have heard many times people say ‘there goes a million or real money’ whenever I pass by," she said.

They fled Tanzania to escape death at the height of killings of albinos by witchdoctors for their body parts.
Those who crossed to Kenya sought refuge in some coastal towns but it seems their hunters have followed them...Read the Rest Here

Albino victim evicted from safe-house

2009-10-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

One year ago, Mariam Staford Bandaba, an albino woman living in Tanzania, was viciously attacked by a machete-wielding gang who tried to kill her and sell her remains for witchcraft.

She escaped with her life, but only just.

The attackers chopped off one of her hands - the other had to be amputated in hospital, where she spent weeks recovering from her horrific injuries...Read the Rest Here

The bleeding continues...but why?

2009-10-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning a ten year old albino boy named Gaspar Kaswalatrie was killed near Geita. Two men ran off with one of his legs. Neighbours reacted which is why the attackers ran away and did not take more body parts. His father jumped to his defense and was also attacked. His father, Elkana, is now fighting for his life in hospital.

Reporter exposes the epidemic of Albino killings

2009-10-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

Mariamu Stanford, 28, a single mother with albinism from rural Tanzania, is just one of two Tanzanians with albinism known to have survived the gruesome attacks. Stanford talks to ABC News' Juju Chang.
(ABC News)

I had just 24 hours to prepare for my trip to Africa. We had been reporting on the killing of Tanzanians with albinism, a genetic condition characterized by a lack of pigment in people's eyes, skin and hair, as part of an ABC News hour special...Read the Rest Here

Want to help Tanzania's Albinos? - Here's How

2009-10-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

In Tanzania, life with albinism is a near death sentence. Fifty-four people with albinism have been murdered since 2007 -- their limbs hacked off and sold on the black market. Many locals believe there are magical properties in the blood, bones and skin of people with albinism.

Tanzania has one of the largest populations of albinos in the world -- an estimated 170,000.
(Positive Exposure/Rick Guidotti)Aside from gruesome attacks, Tanzanian albinos -- unprotected for a lifetime under the scorching African sun -- often die of painful skin cancer in their thirties...Read the Rest Here

Albino killers murder two accomplices

2009-10-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of The Citizen Newspaper, Tanzania

Unidentified people have killed two suspected contract killers of albinos who were being hunted by the police force in Mwanza Region.

Bodies of the suspects, Magessa Makala, 46, and Magole Nagabona, 35, were found abandoned in a bush at Ihebo village in Ukerewe District at around 10:00am on Sunday, Mwanza regional police commander, Jamal Rwambow, confirmed yesterday.

Sources in Ukerewe believe the duo were killed by their colleagues in the crime for fear of being named as was the cases with the deceased suspects who were named by their colleagues, who were nabbed with an albino organ, while scouting for a market for the bone in the city.

"It's true that we were searching for the deceased suspects whose names I could not reveal when their colleagues were arrested about a week ago for fear of interfering with investigation," Commander Rwambow admitted yesterday.

Mr Rwambow said it was not true that the deceased suspects committed suicide as misleading reports widely circulated in Ukerewe District at the weekend, hinting that the murderers had probably planned the killings in order to confuse the public and ongoing investigation.

"Bodies of the deceased suspects indicated that they were stabbed by sharp objects," he said.

Two people, a resident of Bugula in Ukerewe District, a resident of Mkudi Mlimani suburb situated at Ghana area in Mwanza City, were on August 13 nabbed with a bone believed to be of an albino at Sun City Guesthouse also in the city.

The two suspects who are still in police custody, who also serve as traditional healers, named their colleagues during an interrogation with police officers in the city.

They admitted receiving the albino bone from the deceased suspects, who brought it to the city for them to look for a lucrative market for the albino organ.

New threat to albinos at school in Mwanza

2009-09-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian Newspaper Tanzania

Pupils with albinism at Mitindo School, Misungwi District are exposed to hot sun as they wait in long queue for their turn to get water from a single source

Children with albinism admitted to a boarding school at Mitindo in Mwanza Region in efforts to keep them safe away from albino killers, now face a health threat.

According to the head teacher Juma Abdallah the pupils travel up to three kilometers to fetch water from a well far from the school. The school has a total of 148 pupils, 45 of whom are blind while 103 are albinos. Albinos lack pigments in their eyes, skin or hair, making their life difficult in Africa, where there is plenty of sunshine. They are more susceptible to skin cancer and sunburn.

“As you have seen, the pupils are forced to wait under the sun in a queue for a long time, risking their tender skins and weak eyes by exposing them to the sun,” he said.

Other challenges they face are shortage of blankets, bed- sheets, toothbrushes and tooth paste. The school also needs a professional matron and patron as well as regular heath check-ups. Mitindo School in Misungwi District was initially meant for blind children. Now, owing to lack of dormitories, two pupils are now forced to share a bed. “Following the outbreak of albino killings, the government directed us to accommodate the children, but their number is overwhelming and we’ve no alternative as our request for additional budget is yet to materialize,” said the head teacher.

The albinos have been killed for their body parts to be used in witchcraft by persons who seek wealth or sexual potency. At least 53 albinos have been killed since March, 2007 in various parts of the country, mostly in Shinyanga and Mwanza regions.

The killers sell body parts such including arms, legs, hair, skin and genitals to those who practice witchcraft.

Meanwhile, Mwanza Regional Commissioner Abbas Kandoro is currently cautioning parents and guardians to refrain from sending albino children there any more.

He said: "Parents too are duty bound to protect their children," adding that this is not solely a government responsibility. Kandoro called on each district authority in the region to construct a primary school where children with albinism would be mix with other children.

Government and lobby groups say Tanzania has about 170,000 albinos out its population of 40 million people.

Three albino killers to hang

2009-09-24T05:02:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian Newspaper Tanzania

The three men convicted of an albino boy's murder

The High Court, sitting in this Shinyanga Region town specifically to preside over cases involving albino killings, delivered its first judgement yesterday. It convicted and sentenced to death three accused persons.

Reading the ruling, which lasted about an hour, High Court Judge Gabriel Rwakibalila said the court was satisfied that the evidence presented by the prosecution side proved beyond reasonable doubt the involvement of the three convicts in the killings.

He said the trio conspired and killed schoolboy Matatizo Dunia (13), an albino, on December 1 last year at Bunyihuna village in Shinyanga Region’s Bukombe District.

Those found guilty and now on death row are Masumbuko Madata (32) of Itunga Village, Emmanuel Masangwa (28) of Bunyihuna Village and Charles Kalamuji alias Charles Masangwa (42) of Nanda Village, all in Bukombe District. The court ruled that they committed the crime as per Section 16 of Criminal Act No. 196, as amended in 2002.

“This court has found all of you, first accused Masumbuko Madata, second accused Emmanuel Masangwa and third accused Charles Kalamuji alias Charles Masangwa, guilty of killing Matatizo Dunia, and therefore you will be hanged to death. However, you can appeal the sentence if you so wish,” the judge pronounced.

The long-awaited judgment appeared to please most of the people who had turned up at the court premises in huge numbers for an eyewitness account of the climax of the historic proceedings.

Judge Rwakibalila said the defence furnished the court with evidence meant to present the accused as innocent, adding: “But later evidence from the same side proved that the three accused were in fact solidly behind the killings.”

He explained that despite an inconsequential mix-up of some facts in submissions by the prosecution side, “the truth remained intact and hence the fairness of the judgment delivered by this court against the accused”.

The judge said among the trivial “slip-ups” he was referring to was the number of vehicles used by an unspecified number of police officers during arrest of the suspects.

“It is impossible for human being to remember every detail. However, this cannot change the truth,” he noted.

Added the judge: “The evidence presented in court included statements by Madata’s wife and Masumbuko’s third wife Yunis Peter, who stood as the second prosecution witness. The two women narrated in court how they saw their husbands returning home accompanied by Rajab Luchoronga, who is still at large. They also witnessed Matatizo’s severed legs being recovered from a nearby bush which Masumbuko frequently visited for soothsaying.”

Judge Rwakibalila pointed out further that the evidence presented in court by a bother to Madata showed how the accused fled alongside Luchoronga as the police approached.

“Again, third accused Kalamuji’s wife identified as Sofia Andrew explained how her husband disappeared from the family home on November 30 last year before it was reported that he had been arrested in connection with the killing of an albino,” added the judge.

Commenting on the evidence presented by the Chief Government Chemist, the judge said the first and the third accused were directly implicated in Matatizo’s brutal killing “as DNA samples collected from the boy’s blood technically proved them to have hand a hand in the killing”.

Soon after Judge Rwakibalila was through, the defence side declared that they intended to appeal the ruling.

Defence counsel Kamaliza Kayaga said he was not satisfied with the ruling against his clients and contesting it was the only option they would pursue.

The court adjourned until September 28, which is set for the hearing of another murder case. This time the accused is Joseph Lugota of Kagongwa Village in Isagehe Ward, who stands charged with killing Ng’wana Gimbishi (75) of Kilimbi Village in Mwalugulu Ward in Kahama District.

Land Mark Ruling: Three to hang for Albino Murder

2009-09-24T04:42:00.000-07:00

A LANDMARK judgment was made today, when a high court sitting in Shinyanga region sentenced three men to death by hanging for killing Matatizo Dunia (14), an albino boy, early this year in Bukombe district...Read The Rest Here
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Albino Society calls for public execution

The Tanzania Albino Society (TAS) has called for the public execution of three people who were yesterday sentenced to death for murdering an albino...Read The Rest Here
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Death for Tanzania Albino Killers

A court in north-western Tanzania has sentenced three men to death by hanging for killing a 14-year-old albino boy.

They were found guilty of attacking Matatizo Dunia and severing his legs in Bukombe district in Shinyanga province...Read The Rest Here

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Tanzania Albino killers death Sentence

The first verdicts arising out of the recent spate of witchcraft-related killings of albinos in Tanzania have been delivered - three men have been sentenced to death by hanging.

A court in the north of the country found them guilty of murdering a 14-year-old and severing his legs...Read The Rest Here

Peter Ash shares his heartbeat with Christian faithfuls in Dar

2009-09-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

When called to the podium to introduce his team and share the word of God last Sunday, Peter Ash (founder of Under the Same Sun – an organization which has the interest of albinos in Tanzania at heart) walked up the steps purposefully, one step at a time.

He took the mike from the pastor and introduced the team he’d come to church with that morning. They were, among others, his brother Paul; Don, a close friend and one directly involved in the fight against albino killings; Vicky Ntetema, BBC bureau chief in this part of the world and Samuel Mluge, the director of Under the Same Sun Tanzania.

When the preliminaries were over, he started sharing the word of God with the congregation.

He made three major points.

1. People with albinism are first and foremost humans. The genetic condition albinism) comes second. They’re like any other human being. Their genetic condition does not rob them of their ‘humanhood’.

Albinos, just like the rest of humanity, are fearfully and wonderfully made. (See Psalms 139: 13 - 16). This is a psalm of David and it says:

“You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well. When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother’s womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there – you saw me before I was born. The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book before any of them ever began.”

Peter told the story of Mariam, a small albino girl who was hacked to death in the Lake Victoria region by people who were after her body parts. When he recounted how the gang slit her (Mariam’s) throat and how her legs were hewn off, tears coursed down the cheeks of some members of the congregation. Sporadic sniffles could be heard throughout the church as the sad story was being told.

2. Albinos are under a deadly attack of the devil, the father of lies. The devil is a liar and a murderer. John 8:44 says:

“You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.”

The devil is also a thief. John 10:10 says:

“The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy.”

The devil, through the mouths of witchdoctors, promises wealth which comes at a price – human life! This is a great lie and one that should be fought against at all costs.

3. People with albinism need their brothers and sisters (those who don’t have albinism) to join in the war against this violence. This is where the church comes in. The church needs to stand for justice, mercy and faithfulness. The community around us needs to be sensitized on the repercussions of allowing this evil to continue having a field day in our country. It is the responsibility of each and every member of society to see to it that the violence and animosity against albinos comes to a stop.

He mentioned this blog as being one of the vehicles that is championing an end to violence against albinos in Tanzania. I was deeply humbled by this sentiment. (I really appreciate the mention of this blog on that podium, Peter).

He closed with strong and weighty words; words laden with prophecy ad finality:

“I see a day when albinos in this country (Tanzania) will walk free!”

AMEN!![My voice]

I wish, hope and pray so too.

Check out these links, too:
It's our call, dear brethren

Dealing with the violence aginst Albinos: Where do you fall?

Dealing with the violence against Albinos: Where do you Fall?

2009-09-23T03:22:00.000-07:00

Different people have different ways of dealing with problems and challenges in their lives. How would you deal with the problem of violence against albinos if you were to take a stand?

I have prepared some questions (below) that could help you work out what you’d do or rather what your choice would be.

In the questions, the cracks in the house stand for the problem of violence against albinos.

Check what you would do…

a). Are you one who would opt to fill the cracks instead of finding out why there are cracks (to avert something even more sinister from seeing the light of day)?

b). Are you one who would paint the cracks to make them 'invisible'?

c). Are you one who would dig up the sides of the foundation to find out why the building is shaky?

d). Are you one who would literally demolish the building, the cost of the building notwithstanding, to build a more stable one in its place?

e). Are you one who would run after lizards that crawl out of the cracks, instead of paying attention to many a cranny threatening the stability of your building?

f). Are you one who would sit by, arms folded and watch as the building crumbles in one big heap?

g). Are you one who would exhibit the ostrich syndrome. That is, hide your head in the sand and think that because you cannot see the cracks then they are non-existent?

So, where do you fall?

It’s our call, dear brethren

2009-09-23T03:14:00.000-07:00

I have continually noted – with growing uneasiness – that most Tanzanians blame the government for almost anything negative that happens in their environs.

Someone, at whose front door is a huge mound of garbage, would be heard blaming the government for not removing the litter from his doorstep! The logical thing to do would be to remove the ‘eyesore’ from in front his house in order to avoid outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.

The same mentality takes centre stage in the fight against albino killings. Most Tanzanians think (and wrongfully so!) that it is up to the government to bring these killings to an end.

The government alone cannot do much. All of us must join hands and work towards a common goal: an end to albino killings.

The ball’s in our court (or part of the game); let’s play with the intention of winning. Our albino brothers and sisters are waiting and watching. We can do better than we currently are doing concerning this grave issue.

Albino killings must be ended

2009-09-23T02:54:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian Newspaper Tanzania

The High Court in Shinyanga has finally resumed the trials of people suspected to have been involved in the killings of albinos. Prior to the resumption, there was a lull due to a reported lack of funds, much as the trials were of great public interest.

We are quite encouraged that leaders of the Judiciary have taken quick measures to ensure that the cases resume. It is our hope that this time around, the trials are going to be conducted right to the end.

As it goes, justice delayed is justice denied. For that reason, it is pertinent that the cases are conducted non-stop until the verdicts are issued. We are stressing the need for expedition of the trials not because we are pre-judging the accused, but mainly because the credibility of the courts and the nation will be at stake if the trials are prolonged unnecessarily.

Secondly, at the end of the trials when the court hands down the punishment to those who might be found to be guilty, the penalties shall serve as a lesson to those who have been involved in the killing spree of albinos.

These crimes of highly detestable nature have also cast a dark cloud over our law organs and state investigation agencies, as there was a feeling -- and this persists, especially within the albino community -- that the arrests and eventual prosecution of the culprits was taking questionably long.

We therefore hope that the trials that are taking place in Shinyanga Region will not lead to complacency in the police force. No stone should be left unturned until all the killers are identified and brought to justice.

We must also insist on quick and unrelenting investigation whenever there are reports of such macabre killings anywhere within the borders of this country. We stress this, not because we have no trust in the competence of the state investigators, but because this is one of the ways of putting to an end the killings.

Wherever there is a will, there is a way. If we are determined to put the saga of the albinos—who are our fellow countrymen and women, our own kith and kin—to an end, then we should not only resolve to end the shameful killings, but also to manifest this resolve through concrete and credible action.

We all know that apart from the human tragedy brought about by the killings, the image of our nation is at stake. Also, the good name of this generation is threatened. We have to see to it that our great-great grandchildren remember this generation of Tanzanians affectionately as both responsible and of historical importance.

Moreover, the so-called saga of albinism in Tanzania is tarnishing our hitherto extremely good name abroad. Tanzania has been known as an island of peace in the Great Lakes Region and should remain so.

It is thus the duty of each and every one of us to protect human life, which is sacred. On the other hand, political leaders, members of the law-enforcing organs and the Judiciary bear even a heavier responsibility. That is why we keep writing about this particular issue.

Say NO to the KILLINGS!

2009-09-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

We are one people, Under the Same Sun!

2009-09-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah...You are your brothers' Keeper!

2009-09-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

Stop the Killings of Albinos

2009-09-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Stand on the Rooftops...Decry the Violence

2009-09-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Say No

2009-09-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

The Truth as it ought to be Told: Human body parts don’t Create Wealth

2009-09-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

Kazungu Kassim, head of a Burundi albino association, listens to proceedings inside a courtroom in Ruyigi, eastern Burundi

Snapshots of the full article Click on the link below the snapshots to read the full article

...A 35-year-old man in Lake Tanganyika was accused of trying to sell his 24-year-old wife to Congolese businessmen for $2,000 (Sh150,000) while in Mwanga District a mother was alleged to have sold her albino baby girl to a group of men who slaughtered her and drunk her blood...

...They are cutting us up like chickens. Our biggest fear now is the fear of living. If you leave work at night as an albino you are unsure of reaching home safely. When you sleep you are unsure of waking up in one piece. In the streets you hear people plotting how they can get you,” lamented Zihada Msembo, Tanzanian Albino Society secretary general...

...Fishermen for instance, have this macabre belief that if they weave strands of red albino hair into their nets, fish will be attracted by the glimmer. Although poverty and ignorance are the major causes of these barbaric acts, Nigerian films are being accused of touting the efficacy of witchcraft...

...On further questioning the man confessed that a businessman was going to pay for the head by its weight...

...However, albinos in Burundi, affected by the killing wave in Tanzania, got a moral boost when eight men charged with killing albinos in the town of Ruyigi were sentenced to life imprisonment.
“I think it will reduce the amount of attacks on albinos in our country,” Mr Kazungu Kassim, spokesman for Burundi albinos, told journalists...

Read The Full Story Here

Court hears how Bukombe albinos `were murdered`

2009-09-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

Story courtesy of The Guardian Newspaper Tanzania. It appeared in yesterday's (17th Sept 2009) edition of the paper.

The High Court in Shinyanga Region’s Bukombe District, sitting specifically to preside over cases in which three people are charged with albino killings, was informed yesterday that the accused were behind the planning and execution of a spate of such murders.

Winding up the public prosecution’s submission, State Attorney Prudence Rweyongeza told the court that Masumbuko Madata of Itunga Village and Emmanuel Masangwa and Charles Kalamuji alias Charles Masangwa, both of Bunyihuna Village in Bukombe District, were behind the killings of albinos reported around the Lake Victoria zone.

Rweyongeza said investigations leading to court action after filing the murder case, no. 24 of 2009, revealed that the accused killed Matatizo Dunia (13) on the night of December 1 last year as the youngster slept in a house at Bunyihuna village, and disappeared with his body parts for witchcraft purposes.

He told the court, presided over by Judge Gabriel Rweyongeza, that the prosecution brought two types of evidence - circumstantial and through affidavits.

“In the right of the seriousness of the crime committed, which has tarnished the country’s image, the prosecution presented in court evidence from 15 different people who are credible and reliable and who have proved beyond reasonable doubt the involvement of the accused in the crime. I pray that the court convict the accused accordingly,” he pleaded.

Commenting on the affidavit presented, Rweyongeza said the evidence basically proved the brutal killing of Standard Four schoolboy Matatizo Dunia of Bunyihuna Village in Iponya Ward, Bukombe District.

He added that the accused were positively identified as having committed the crime and actually confessed to have done so.

The prosecution further submitted that all the accused had confessed through affidavits to have collaborated in planning and executing the scheme leading to the killing of the boy. They were later arrested after being found in possession of the boy’s legs.

Rweyongeza asked the court to ignore “inconsequential issues of contention” among witnesses such as the number of police officers and the vehicles used during the arrest of the suspects at Itunga village.

“These are trivial and cannot alter the truth about the people behind the crime,” he said, adding: “Witnesses are human beings and cannot remember everything.”

He submitted that one prosecution witness, first accused Madata’s wife Yunis Peter, willingly and without being swayed by prejudice or vengeance against the accused, explained before Judge Rwakibalila and the court assessors how her husband was busy with secret plans with third accused Kalamuji.

He quoted the woman as having explained how her husband made “endless trips” on November 30 last year “to accomplish his evil mission of killing the innocent boy and hide the body parts in the bush”. The case was adjourned until today, when the judge will hear presentations by court assessors before giving the date for ruling.

Peter Ash drums up support for albino protection

2009-09-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Story Courtesy of The Guardian Newspaper, Tanzania

Peter Ash with an albino girl

President and founder of a Canadian non-profit organization, Under the Same Sun, Peter Ash, jetted in Dar es Salaam over the weekend calling for justice to the families who lost their loved ones due to genetic disorder.

Ash has albinism, a genetic condition which results in significantly reduced vision, but such condition has of late ignited a spate of killings by get-rich-quick fellows always associated with witchcraft.

He told journalists at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) that his heart drives him to do whatever he can to provide resources to assist those most disadvantaged by disability, discrimination and poverty.

“Our mission remains unchanged. It is to provide resources which allow these groups to increase their quality of life and gain increased independence,” said Ash.

He said for Tanzania's 170,000 albinos, there was an increasing sense of fear and abandonment. With the government unable or unwilling to protect them from the machetes of the witchdoctors' henchmen, there is no place to hide and little reason to hope.

As the slaughter of albinos continues, promises from Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda that the killers would be brought to justice swiftly have been fulfilled. Now the Kahama and Shinyanga High Courts have been holding trials for four of the suspected killers of victims with albinism.

This is the third time for the founder of the Canadian NGO is visiting Tanzania. During his second visit, Ash and his delegation met with leaders in the albinism community as well as religious leaders and government officials, including Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda and Vice-President Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein. Unfortunately, four months later as the killings continue unabated, Ash seriously questions if there is any political will for the government to provide meaningful protection for its citizens with albinism.

The most recent victim was 4-year-old Muanda Sita of Madilana village in the Bariadi District, Shinyanga Region. The killers, wielding machetes, overtook the little boy and hacked off his legs one by one as he screamed in agony. His slaughter brings the number of killings of Tanzanians with albinism during the past month to four.

In addition, other African countries are now reporting similar occurrences, including neighboring Burundi where at least 12 people with albinism have been slaughtered in the last year. However, Burundi does not appear to be afflicted with the same kind of judicial apathy.

While the trials in Tanzania are dragging, nine people in Burundi have recently been convicted for the murders. All nine killers are serving time in jail, with one of them serving a life sentence.

This War will one day be won, but first…

2009-09-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

I was reading the book of Nehemiah in the Bible today when my eyes lighted on a verse that moved me. The sheer resolve and determination that oozes from the verse got me thinking and wishing, wishing, wishing …

The verse, Nehemiah 4:14, says: “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

This came at a time that Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and some people were taunting and mocking the builders. There were instances when the security of the builders was threatened. So they had to work with their weapons (swords, spears, shields) at hand.

They were doing a good thing and they refused to be intimidated or even join the bandwagon of the complacent fellows who were satisfied with the way things were. They dared to be different and that drew immense opposition.

This reminds me what Albert Einstein said: Great spirits have always encountered violent oppositions from mediocre minds.

I guess this has a great lesson for us here in Tanzania as we fight against the violence levelled against albinos; and as we champion for the prosecution of albino murderers.

We cannot dare allow complacency and intimidation to fill our hearts as we fight this good fight. Though some of us have been cowed into believing that nothing good will come out of this war, there are positive indications that this war is already half won. We just have to keep at it without giving up hope. You know, from those to whom much has been given, much will be required.

If there is no other motivation to fight this good fight, let this one suffice: There is no substitute to human life. Guard it with all you can and however you can!

Albino Murder Trials Suspended

2009-08-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Tanzania has suspended the trials of suspects accused of killing albinos so their body parts can be used in good-luck charms, ostensibly because of a lack of funds.....Read The Rest Here

Read this Also

...The killings have sullied Tanzania's reputation for relative calm in a volatile region, and drawn condemnation from the United Nations and European Union.....Read The Rest Here

Pictures of a HORRIBLY mutilated Albino Girl. Be warned: they are graphic!

Is this what we want to continue happening?

Is there any POLITICAL WILL to end the Killings...

2009-08-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

...As Albino butchery increases and Tanzanian courts abandon prosecutions?

As the slaughter of albinos continues, promises from Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda that the killers would be brought to justice swiftly have not yet been fulfilled. Now the Kahama and Shinyanga High Courts which have been holding trials for 4 of the suspected killers of victims with albinism say they have run out of funds. THESE TRIALS HAVE NOW BEEN SUSPENDED UNTILFURTHER NOTICE. For Tanzania’s 170,000 albinos, there is an increasing sense of fear and abandonment. With their government unable or unwilling to protect them from the machetes ofthe witchdoctors’ henchmen, there is no place to hide and little reason to hope.

When Peter Ash, Founder of the Canadian NGO “UNDER THE SAME SUN” returned from his second fact-finding mission to Tanzania this past April, he was cautiously optimistic. During the visit, Ash and his delegation met with leaders in the albinism community as well as religious leaders and government officials, including the Prime Minister and Vice-President, Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein. Unfortunately, four months later as the genocide continues unabated, Ash seriously questions if there is any political will within this East African government to provide meaningful protection for its citizens with albinism.

The most recent victim was 4 year old Muanda Sita of Madilana village in the Bariadi District,Shinyanga region. Murderers, violently wielding machetes, overtook the little boy and hacked off his legs one by one as he screamed in agony. His slaughter brings the number of murders of Tanzanians with albinism during the past month to 4. In addition, other African countries are now reporting similar occurrences, including neighboring Burundi where at least 12 people with albinism have been slaughtered in the last year. However, the Republic of Burundi does not appear to be afflicted with the same kind of judicial apathy. While the trials in Tanzania have completely stalled, 9 people in Burundi have recently been convicted for the murders. All 9 killers are serving time in jail, with one of them serving a life sentence.

According to Ash, the crisis in Tanzania has only intensified. “If you have albinism in Tanzania”,he says, “you live in a constant state of fear. Since 2007, police reports confirm that at least 53 innocent children and adults have been slaughtered like animals so that their body parts can be traded and sold as mere commodities by witchdoctors to their customers. The darkness of Witchcraft is rampant with documented accounts of tiny babies, some as young as 6 months ofage, being slaughtered alive in front of their families, dismembered one frail limb at a time.”

“In another case earlier this year, he adds, “the body of a two day old baby with albinism in Shinyanga was exhumed from a grave dug the day after its birth. This tiny infant was found without arms or legs. There are repeated accounts of throats slit, blood drained and sometimes drunk on the spot by the killers. Victims have no one to trust and nowhere to turn because evidence shows that in many cases, relatives or close friends of the victims are directly involved in the murders. Tragically, law enforcement officials have also been implicated. This spreading evil has reached epidemic proportions.”

While visiting Tanzania on February 28, 2009, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon himself condemned the killings, remarking that “I have received complaints about this gross violation of human rights. It is a very serious issue…”. In the small number of trials that were until recently occurring, witnesses say that prosecutors have often botched the investigations. Tanzania’s 170,000 people with albinism now feel totally abandoned by their justice system with nowhere to turn for rescue from this genocide.

The reassuring press releases of politicians did nothing to save beautiful 14 year old Eunice Bahati of Sengerema district (Mwanza Region) on February 17 this year when killers hacked offeach of her limbs as her family watched. The horrific and graphic photos below of Eunice’s body provide evidence of this crime against humanity which is spreading across Tanzania:

WARNING: THE PICTURES ARE GRAPHIC

Pictures of a horribly mutilated Albino Girl

Increasing International Pressure

World media has taken serious note of this continuing killing spree. The desperate plight ofTanzania’s albino community and the work of Under The Same Sun have recently been featured in international media coverage such as The New York Times, BBC, The National Post,The Guardian, Voice of America, NBC News and countless other radio, TV and newspapers.And with the Tanzanian judicial system’s recent declaration that they cannot continue theprosecutions of suspected murderers due to a lack of money, Ash believes that the international community must pressure the Tanzanian Government to reconsider this decision. “The courts must act swiftly to prosecute the perpetrators of these grizzly crimes” says Ash, “and then thegovernment must commit sufficient resources to protect Tanzania’s vulnerable albino community”.

“We must all raise our voices and join with our fellow human beings with albinism in Tanzania!” Ash implores. “We must shout with a loud and passionate cry for justice and a plea for safety.All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. Please do not be counted among those who failed to bring about life saving change.”

An international petition can be signed and more information obtained by visiting:www.underthesamesun.com.
For interview requests, please email: media(at)underthesamesun(dot)com or telephone +1-604-587-6502.

Tanzania Albino Center in Moshi: Impacting the Lives of Albinos

2009-07-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Hands of Africa Foundation in Netherlands in collaboration with Tanzania Albinos Centre in Moshi, have realized the situation of the albino society in Tanzania. Our first task is to provide education to the albinos and create awareness to the society to accept albinos as normal beings with all human rights including social protection including the following:

*To provide their needs like sun-glasses and sun-blocks (skin cream) to albinos, to keep their eyes and skin safe.

*To provide them with life.....Read The Rest Here

The Mission and Vision statements of the Tanzania Albino centre:

MISSION
Our aim is to improve the life of albino’s in Tanzania by support their school and vocation colleges education, medical help, awareness etc. So they can live safe, accepted in the society and able to find jobs and good education. As well as imparting life skills.

VISION
Together with the Dutch Afrikaanse Albino’s Organization we will become the recognized leader in planning, advocating and funding quality services to improve the lives of the albino in Tanzania.

More Govt bodies join in the fight against Albino killings

2009-07-08T06:58:00.001-07:00

The Tanzania Government Chemist Laboratory Agency (GCLA) has started to examine blood samples of albinos killed in Shinyanga region this year...Read The Rest Here

Love conquers all: An Albino's moving Love Story...

2009-06-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

... and subsequent happy family!
James, Pamela and their daughter, Avril

...Pamela could not get her mind off the young man, an aspiring musician with a deep, musical voice and sense of humour.

And she also liked his “shiny blonde hair”, which she says made him very attractive.

James’s hair colour is as a result of albinism, an inherited genetic condition characterised by little or no pigment (melanin) in the skin, eyes and hair...Read to know how Pamela and James, an albino, met, courted and... now have a loving family. Life is not all doom and gloom for albinos!

Photos showing what ALBINOS have to put up with...

2009-06-24T12:59:00.001-07:00

...the PAIN and ANGUISH!

Photos that SPEAK louder Than WORDS

Accused Albino Murderer denies close relation with Murdered Albino

2009-06-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

...It is alleged that the deceased was living with Gamaya before he was brutally killed between November 1 and December 4, last year and, according to the prosecution, on the day when the crime was committed the accused had met at the house to plan the shocking murder...Check out the Rest Here

Other Albino Stories in the Media

A Tiny Sanctuary for Tanzania's Albinos

2009-06-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

One of the things that makes working for the Red Cross in the field such a privilege is that you occasionally see places you never would in a lifetime of “travel”, even as a journalist. And meet true humanitarians – local volunteers – whose main objective in life is to do something to help their communities...Check out the Rest Here

Rozarii Lynch: Freelance Photographer with a Difference

2009-06-14T06:00:00.001-07:00

This is Rozarii Lynch

Rozarii, a freelance photographer, has initiated a project whose aim is to raise international awareness for the plight of the albino people, to portray positive images of the individual albino people and to affect positive change for their situation.

Read to know More about Rozarii's Project

State Drops witness in Albino Murder Trial

2009-06-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

The trial involving the murder of a 54 year-old albino took a new twist yesterday when the prosecution decided to drop from its list of witnesses the wife of one of the accused, after the latter changed her mind...Read the Rest Here

And also......Check out the Same Story in this other Paper

Trader accused of asking for albino parts

2009-06-11T05:18:00.001-07:00

...The shocking testimony emerged after a defence counsel, Mr Feran Kweka, asked the witness why the alleged "buyer" of a head and legs cut off from Lyaku Willy was not among the accused despite being named...Read the Rest Here.

Witness recounts how ‘killers’ went into hiding.

Man confesses to having Killed an Albino

2009-06-10T07:24:00.000-07:00

...[Currently, albino murder cases are being heard simultaneously in Shinyanga and Kahama districts]...
A man on trial for the murder of a mentally ill albino last year confessed to having committed the heinous crime before villagers, the High Court heard yesterday...Read the Rest Here.