Killers of Burundi albinos jailed

Mutilated bodies

Police believe parts of the bodies of 11 murdered and mutiliated albino men, women and children were smuggled across the border into Tanzania and sold to witch doctors, who claim albinos’ flesh brings luck in love, life and business.

In depth

Video: African albinos killed for body organs  The ‘genocide’ of Burundi’s albinos

The killings took place over a six-month period in Ruyigi in 2008.

Isaac Mwaura, from the Albino Society of Kenya, told Al Jazeera he thought the crimes were “an extension of greed”.

“People are greedy to overcome their poverty and they do anything whatsoever, including killing their fellow human beings.

“Witchcraft has been practised for a very long time in Africa and it’s just metamorphosed into our modern ways of life, so when richness is seen in terms of money and prosperity, people are going ahead.

He said: “If you look at witchcraft, before people were told to bring a white hen or a black cat.

“But now they … think these don’t work and use people with albinism.”

Albinism is a congenital lack in the skin, eyes and hair of melanin pigment which protects against the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

There are about 200 albinos in the small central African nation of eight million people.