Mozambican government demands quick clarification over albino teenager whose arm was amputated

The secretary of state of the province of Zambezia, central Mozambique, has called for an expedited investigation into the case of a teenager with albinism whose arm was amputated by unknown people in the province, classifying the crime as heinous.

“This crime is in the hands of the police and it must be solved as quickly as possible (…) this is a heinous crime (…) I don’t want to believe that we can call someone who did this, the boy is a person “Christina Mafumo told reporters while visiting the minor, who is still hospitalized at the province’s main hospital.

The crime took place on November 18 in the Ile region, when four men took a 14-year-old boy sleeping on a balcony into the forest and amputated his right arm, as Luse Sidner Lonzo, spokesman for the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) in Zambezia, explained at the time.

Although he remains in the hospital, the teenager’s health is positive, according to the medical team monitoring him.

“The patient’s condition was serious, but he was immediately stabilized (…). Unfortunately, the surgical wounds became infected, which is to be expected given the type of material used to strike the wounds. (…) He receives psychological support,” said doctor Zephanias Carlos.

In some areas of Mozambique, albinos are often killed for obscurantist purposes.

People with albinism are victims of persecution, violence and discrimination due to myths and superstitions that include the use of organs or bones in rituals, making them among the main targets of human rights violations.

According to the latest data provided to Lusa by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), at least 114 people with albinism have disappeared under unclear circumstances since 2014 in Mozambique alone.

Albinism is a genetic disease characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigments in the skin, hair and eyes.