Four More Albino Killers Set to Die

The Tanzanian province of Shinyanga found four men guilty of murdering an albino man and dismembering him, then selling his head and limbs to self-professed "witchdoctors," who ground them up and used them in the manufacturing of "magical potions" meant to bring the consumer wealth. The sentence follows that of three others, also sentenced to die, for the similar murder of an albino boy. All parties are expected to appeal.

While some feel the death sentences send the right message, thousands of albinos still live in fear throughout Tanzania and the surrounding regions. Many note a larger crime syndicate is at work and want those men to be arrested and convicted.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Tanzania Endangers Another Albino Victim

Corrupt Tanzanian officials have ejected a 28-year old albino woman from a safe house because they claim "no albinos have been attacked in [her village] in the last year." The woman lost both her hands in an attack, then courageously identified her attackers - who have yet to be brought to justice! While the mutilated woman's attackers have been captured, they have not been sentenced and may be released without further notice.

Luckily, a wealthy businessman who heard her story has opened his home to her for a year, Her father and four siblings, all of whom were living in the safe house village with her, are not so lucky; they have no choice but to return to the village where the attack occurred. They fear reprisal - especially since some of the attackers were found "not guilty" and they, and their relatives, live in the village!

The OddBlog has been covering this story for over a year now and I simply cannot believe the rest of the world is allowing this to go on! Tanzanian officials are some of the most ardent supporters of the witchdoctors whose "potions" are made of albino body parts. These officials, and the rest of this country, should be condemned!

This is a heartbreaking saga of mutilation, ignorance, and racism which the rest of the world has chosen to overlook. It sickens me; it truly makes me physically ill.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Death for Albino Witchdoctors

A Tanzanian court has sentenced three to die for the brutal killing of a 14-year old, albino boy. His legs were dismembered and sold for use in spells cast by witchdoctors meant to bring forth wealth and affluence. This is the first conviction since the murders began in earnest a few years ago. Tanzania's legal systems are notoriously corrupt.

While some experts say the sentences might curb some of the violence, others do not. The killers will appeal the verdict, but regardless of their conclusion(s), the market for albino body parts is simply too large and too strong to be stopped by a handful of executions. There have been over 50 albino murders in the region since 2007.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Tanzanian Albino Trials Begin

12 people are on trial for murdering albinos in Tanzania. The OddBlog has been bringing you reports of the situation: self-proclaimed "witchdoctors" in the African country are concocting and selling potions purported to make the imbiber wealthy. The potions are made of various ingredients, the most gruesome of which is ground bone from an albino. Over 40 regional albinos have been killed in the last 1¹/₂ years, alone.

While there have been numerous arrests, there have been no convictions. Affluential businessmen are said to be the witchdoctors' primary clientele and local police are among the most corrupt in the world. A single potion goes for thousands of dollars in a country where the average annual income is less than $300. Money like that buys a lot of "justice."

Now that the tragedy is getting major media attention worldwide, the ritual killings have abated to some degree these last few months, but albinos are far from safe. Entire families have been hacked to pieces inside their homes, as each part of their body can bring thousands of dollars. Their graves are cemented over to prevent tampering. There are more than 15,000 albinos in the area.

Last month, a similar trial started in neighboring Burundi. It involved a group of 11 men.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Pinky, the Albino Dolphin

Pinky, the Albino Dolphin

It's been a banner few months for odd-colored beasties, hasn't it?  Well, here's yet another from the inland saltwater estuary of Louisiana, Lake Calcasieu:

Pinky is an albino dolphin that was first spotted in the lake last year.  It has been photographed, and draws spectators to the lake in droves.  Pinky is the same color over his entire body, and has pinkish-red eyes.  Pinky has begun swimming away from his mother more lately, but usually stays with the pod.

At least one marine biologist said he has never seen a bottlenose dolphin of this color in all his career.  There is an endangered dolphin of another type in South America which is called the "pink dolphin," or boto, but Pinky is not of that species; Pinky is thought to be an actual albino dolphin.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Photo from The Guardian, links in body. - 2018

Recent Atrocities Against Albinos in Africa

As regular readers know, The OddBlog has been following the plight of albinos in Africa almost as long as we have been here (at this address). As more of the world and news agencies are becoming aware of the issue, more incidents are being reported. This weekend alone highlights the immediacy of the situation, with no fewer than three separate reports of abuse, death, and dismemberment coming to light.

As we continue to report, some 30 albinos have been murdered and dismembered in 2008 alone. The savages of the area believe albinos' body parts, hair, and blood to be useful ingredients in Occult rituals based loosely on witchcraft (not Wicca), while others believe albinos to be witches themselves. Many are killed at birth. These belief stems from charlatan witchdoctors of the region, who use the body parts in rituals purported to make the beneficiary rich. Tanzania is the epicenter of this holocaust, though it is spreading to the neighboring Congo and Burundi regions.

Even the president of the Tanzanian region was quoted as saying, "It is utterly stupid for some people to believe that albinos have magic powers and their parts can make them rich," while speaking at a recent Tanzanian Albino Society (TAS) rally. He called for more education to help cull the genocide.

According to a 2002 census, there are about 150k albinos in the region. Some 8,000 are registered with the TAS. The TAS and others claim the actual number of albinos in the region is higher and a census is underway to find out.

In the first report, a man was arrested for trying to sell his albino wife to Congolese traders in Tanzania. Notoriously corrupt, Tanzanian cops have been bought-off to ignore the plight of the albinos. Almost none of the traders, murderers, and traffickers have ever been caught or convicted. In this case, though the husband was arrested, the traders somehow managed to escape. In other cases where arrests have been made, the accused almost always manage somehow to slip away.

Last Friday, two mothers were hacked with machetes by gangs who were trying to get their albino children. The gangs did not find the children and the women are under medical care, recovering from their wounds. Again, none of the attackers have been brought to justice; local police claim they fled the area and a manhunt is underway, but no further information has come to light.

This morning brings yet another heartbreaking report: a six-year old girl was found dismembered in Burundi. Attacked on Sunday, the girl's limbs and head were missing. She is the sixth victim discovered so far from the region. Armed attackers broke into the family's home, bound the parents, and shot the baby point-blank in the head. The family has been part of a group of around 50 albinos who had fled the region, fearing for their daughter's safety.

Last week, a 10-year old albino girl was killed.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Albinos Protest Killings

This is a story we have been following for some time:

Tanzanian albinos staged a protest in the commercial capitol, urging politicians and police to do more to curb the killing of members of their community. 25 or more have been killed this last year, including babies. Albinos in the region have been pursued and murdered for numerous reasons - some believe they are witches, while others believe their body parts are useful in witchcraft-based rituals.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete met with the protesters. While some have been detained over the murders, few have been convicted, and the community does not feel authorities have done enough.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Albinos Murdered Again

Yet another Tanzanian albino has been murdered in his home. His wife was also injured in the attack, but survived.

Jovin Majaliwa was attacked and murdered by unknown assailants in his home Thursday night, just after dark. His left foot was severed and his genitals were mutilated. Witchdoctors are undoubtedly behind the murders, as they have been behind the string of others - 26, in all, just this year. Police waited to release the details of the grisly murder, in part because many are also customers of the witchdoctors'.

While nearly 200 witchdoctors have been arrested since March of this year, the police have no idea what happened to them. The BBC has secured evidence that the police are accessories to these continuing serial murders.

The body parts retrieved are used in rituals based on greed.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Inside Tanzania's Witchdoctor Trade

While we continue to follow the persecution of the albinos in Africa (particularly Tanzania), a story like this one puts the fine-point on a topic which has been the focal point of many stories and conversations across the Web lately.

For the most part, The OddBlog and other blogs act as news aggregators and op-ed columns. I am not trying to report news here, just discuss it and bring it to your attention. I never wanted to be a reporter - just isn't my thing. While I love to learn more about all sorts of stuff, I don't much have the journalistic drive for that type of job. Of course, I read a lot of news and am exposed to a lot of news on a daily basis, and it's afe to say that current events are something of a hobby (insomuch as I follow them, to whatever extent) and I like to discuss them.

The reporter here took her very life into her own hands in order to bring us this story - and, more importantly, so she could expose a way of life which is directly responsible for the death of albinos in her country. This is important work and I commend her. I wish there were something more I - and the rest of us - could do for her, but she's very straightforward in saying she knew what she was getting herself into. That doesn't make it any easier to accept, but at least we know that she went into this whole thing with her eyes open - and still went through with it.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Tanzania Cracks Down on Witchcraft Albino Murders

The President of Tanzania has called for an immediate end to the mutilation of albinos for use in witchcraft.

As we've been reporting, albinos are feared in most parts of Africa - so much so that their families often hide them away to protect them - thinking their genetic condition is due to a curse put upon the family. Many believe their body parts possess magical properties and the murder and mutilation of their bodies for use in rituals has become widespread. 19 albinos were murdered in Tanzania last year.

Many have accused the government of a lack of response and now the President of the region is calling for a crackdown on witchdoctors and others who traffick in albino body parts and rituals which employ them. People believe their fingers will bring them luck at fishing and mining, while other body parts have other properties.

Superstition runs rife throughout the region. Women with red eyes are thought to be witches and a rash of rapes in 2007 were blamed on the popo bawa, a winged daemon believed to be summoned by witchcraft.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Albinos Unsafe in Africa

There are nearly 300,000 albinos in Tanzania and they are under attack from the barbaric, uneducated populace. According to popular thought in the region, albinos are believed to be cursed, practitioners of witchcraft, or some kind of ghost-like creature. Further, witchdoctors believe their limbs to be useful in potions which can bring their users great wealth.

There have been four albino deaths in the past three months in the region and albino women have been targeted in the past, but this is the first time albinos have been the target of ritual killings. Fear has gripped the albino community and the Tanzanian Albino Society says these backward beliefs are the cause of these murders and must be wiped-out. A teacher was recently arrested for killing his own albino child, but the TAS is calling for police to do more, including arresting the witchdoctors.

Witchcraft Arrests

At least three people are being held in police custody in Mozambique following a rash of murders earlier in the month. Murder, mutilation, and the exhumation of human bodies in order to harvest and traffic body parts for the use in witchcraft have become common practices in the region, particularly in the northern and central areas. They most often cultivate the genitals and sell them to neighboring areas, such as Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

In the past few years, several have been detained for these same reasons, including two men who were caught with a cache of human bones. One man arrested in conjunction with the slaying of nine innocent people was released for unexplained reasons and lynched by the populace.

Some politicians have called for a bill to be passed, specifically targeting the practices.