APAM calls for security ahead of next year’s general elections

The Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (APAM) has issued a plea to the government through the Malawi Police Service to provide strong security for people with albinism as the country is getting closure to the 2025 general elections.

According to a 2019 United Nations (UN) report, elections periods can be a dangerous time for persons with albinism as this is when killings and attacks often spike.

This is often because of false beliefs that their body parts can bring good luck and political power to people who are partaking in elections.

This, according to APAM president Young Muhamba, should prompt the government to redouble its efforts to end the ongoing atrocities.

“Based on experience from the previous elections like in 2014 as well as the 2020, we saw an increase of cases of attacks on people with albinism.

“So, as days are fast approaching to next year’s polls, we want the government to put several interventions so that our security must be tightened to ensure that we are safe. The Malawi Police Service should play a pivotal role to ensure that the security is tight,” Muhamba explained.

A rights advocate for people with albinism Ian Simbota concurs with Muhamba emphasizing on the need for the government to release findings of the Commission of Inquiry that was instituted to look into killings and abductions of persons with albinism in 2019.

“There in nothing so far that we can point out as to how the government is preparing to protect people with albinism especially during the time of elections.

“We know there is already a report by the old commission of inquiry that the President decided to just sit on it. Strategically, there is nothing that is on the ground that we can point out” Simbota added.

The government is yet to comment on the development.

Malawi has been experiencing a surge in violent attacks on people with albinism over the years.

In a June 2018 report, rights group Amnesty International said that since November 2014 there had been 148 crimes reported against people with albinism, with at least 21 deaths.

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