Tribal Cannibalism and Superstitious Hunting Of Albinos In Africa

Deep in the motherland known as Africa, it's not uncommon for those with white skin to be hunted for a variety of reasons.

There are those who kill the white “Boer” for their farmlands. Oftentimes men and women are killed for strange superstitious reasons as well. One superstition is that some men have gold in their skulls and hence if they are killed the hunter will be rewarded with the gold found within.

Most recently there has been a wave of killings however involving attacks on those born with the condition of albinism where it's believed the body parts of those suffering from albinism brings great fortune and us sold on the black market. Albinism is an incredibly rare condition across the globe where individuals are born with little to no melanin production in their bodies hence they have incredibly white and pale skin.

Back in March a man born with albinism named Gilbert Daire was sleeping in his home when his wife woke him in terror at the sounds of drilling into the walls. They both were in extreme terror convinced that the superstitious hunters were coming to kill him for his body parts.

In Daire’s case the screams of his wife's awoke his neighbors who were able to fend of the attackers together in a show of unified bravery. Such attacks however haven't stopped those like Daire from living in a day to day fear of facing persecution and death on the open streets.

Much like the exclusive hunt of elephants and rhino, they are killed for their body parts, which often are sold for several thousands of dollars and shockingly enough are o trafficked across borders in a widespread market of underground horrors.

Witchcraft and other superstitious rituals that are tribalistic in nature are so common in Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, that men and women are killed every day to perform this uncanny act of ancient belief. Often times even children are devoured with the promise of it giving the cannibal sexual conquest and power, great success in their ventures, or even promote their fortunes to acquire great wealth.

Amnesty International is on record documenting that twenty separate men, women, and children since the year 2014 have been slain brutally for their body parts in Malawi alone. That number is only what's documented and experts suggest hundreds more with albinism are missing completely. In Tanzania there have been 75 documented murders involving these rituals in the same time frame.

This barbaric ritual has become so prevalent that the United Nations Refugee Program has actually been relocating families with members who have albinism. Often times they're transferred into Canada which has been the most accepting nation for African Refugees who flee in fear.

One in fourteen hundred people in Africa are known to suffer from the recessive genetic condition. The results of decreased or no melanin production leads to lack of pigmentation in skin, hair, and eyes which often times causes skin cancer or eye damage.

Most of these suffering men and women or children are all forced to hide due to the extreme risks to their lives from tribal hunters. They attackers are often times fearless of whom invade their homes of those with the condition or snatch their victims right in broad daylight on the open streets. Even worse the family members of those with albinism are often killed as well simply to encourage the good fortunes the superstitious hunters believe will come from the ritual slayings.

After they are killed their mutilated bodies are found without brains, mostly eaten. In other cases all if their flesh is completely stripped off their body. Sometimes their eyes or hair or feet or breasts are taken as trophies.

This is a prevalent form of ritual killings all across the continent and isn't confined to a single area. In South Africa recently a nine year old Malawian child Mayeso Isaac was traveling to visit family when he was attacked by a gang of ten men and kidnapped. Since the abduction he hasn't been seen and he's most likely victim to the harvest of his body parts.

Back in February, a 67-year-old tribal healer there was convicted in a local court of murdering a 20-year-old woman with albinism and then was sentenced to life in prison.

Bhekukufa Gumede who was the tribal healer, along with four young accomplices, removed the genitals, limbs and skin of the victim, Thandazile Mpunzi, and later tossed her body into a freshly dug grave. Two of the accomplices testified in court that Gumede convinced them that if they helped they would then become rich. Only however if they ingested traditional medicine with the body parts of the victim.

Even the victim’s boyfriend, who helped lure her to her death, was sentenced to 18 years while three others were given 20-year terms. He was promised great fortune for killing the woman he had supposedly loved if he assisted and ate her body.

Those in the United Nations say that poor policing in the area Malawi contributes to the daily attacks on people with albinism there, with not enough law enforcement to protect the victims. Also in the last 20 documented slayings not a single perpetrator has been convicted.

Source:

http://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-fg-malawi-albinos-hunted-2017-story.html