Amnesty Attacks Malawi Minister Over Albino Comments

Amnesty International upbraided a Malawian minister on Thursday after he blamed assaults on those living with albinism on the victims' families.

Homeland Security Minister Nicholas Dausi said on Tuesday, "these people are being killed by their relatives."

Albinism is a genetic hereditary disorder that causes a partial or total absence of pigmentation in the skin, the hair and the eyes.

Apart from violence and discrimination, albinos are also exposed to eye problems and a heightened risk of skin cancer.

Dausi also attacked the Association of People With Albanism in Malawi (APAM) for previously suggesting community members may be safer living abroad.

“When they say they want to seek asylum elsewhere, do they want to insult government? Seriously?” he said.

"The latest comments from Minister Nicholas Dausi are yet another indication that persons with albinism in Malawi are on their own when it comes to their safety and security," said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International's deputy director for southern Africa.

"For years, people with albinism have been living at the mercy of criminal gangs who target them for their body parts," he said in a statement.

"The recent spike in attacks shows that the government, despite amending the Anatomy Act and the Penal Code to ensure stiffer penalties, hasn't lived up to its commitments on protecting this group."

The rights group said that since December 31, two people with albinism had died and three had been kidnapped.

Of those who were abducted, two were later rescued by community members while one remains missing, it said.

Just 30 percent of the 148 attacks against albinos since 2014 have been conclusively investigated, according to official statistics, and only one murder and one attempted murder have been successfully prosecuted.

Malawi, one of the world's poorest and most aid-dependent countries, has experienced a surge in violent attacks on people with albinism since late 2014.

In many cases those with albinism are targeted for their body parts to be used in witchcraft.

Of the 600 cases of violence against albinos in 28 African countries, Malawi accounted for nearly a third.