Tanzanian Albino Attacks – Updated List of Victims
The table below was updated using UTSS’s report to UNESCO, published in 2012 (14 October 2013). There are now 76 documented victims.
Starting with Under the Same Sun’s (UTSS, Undated) list of 34 albinos who were attacked, mainly people who survived the attack, I have added all the additional accounts of attacks, targetings, killings, maimings, abductions and other serious crimes that I can find. This is a work in progress and it will remain beyond the scope of this blog to create what could be considered to be a definitive list. Some of the dates are assumed or they are the date on which the article appeared; many pieces of vital data are vague or missing. With this in mind, the list is currently in date order.
From the sources selected 76 victims have been listed, below. Few African media sources have been used because most are no longer freely accessible after a certain period of time; also because the initial aim was to look at non-African media coverage of issues in African countries. Contrary to claims in the media that around 72 persons with albinism were killed over the past 6 or 7 years, the table below 28 were killed and 15 of these victims remain unnamed. Ten of the remaining 48 victims who were attacked but survived are also unnamed.
A summary of recorded demographic and other details is also available.
| Name | Date | Age | M/F | Incident | Source | Location |
| Alex Aron | 30-Apr-06 | ? | M | Killed | LHRC 2006 | ? |
| Emmanuel Festo | 12-Nov-07 | 7 | M | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | Bukoba? |
| Paulo Sasa | 25-Nov-07 | ? | M | Attacked | UTSS (Undated) | Shinyanga, Maswa |
| Bibiana Mbushi | 28-Dec-07 | 12 | F | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | Geita? |
| Unnamed -orphan 1 | 01-Jan-08 | ? | F | Maimed | LHRC 2008 | Geita? |
| Unnamed -orphan 2 | 01-Jan-08 | ? | F | Maimed | LHRC 2008 | Geita? |
| Winifrida Oluoch[i] | 03-Mar-08 | 22 | F | Killed | UTSS 2012 | From Kenya, trafficked to and killed in Tanzania |
| Tausi Massoro Mandgidu | 11-Mar-08 | ? | F | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | Geita, Nyamaulu Village |
| Vumilia Makoye | 01-May-08 | 17 | F | Killed | NY Times | Western |
| Nyrere Rutahiro | 21-Jul-08 | ? | M | Killed | BBC | ? |
| Jovin Majaliwa | 27-Jul-08 | ? | M | Killed | BBC | Mwanza |
| Majaliwa, wife of Jovin | 27-Jul-08 | ? | F | Maimed | BBC | Mwanza |
| Mariamu Staford (BBC – Mariam Staford Bandaba) | 17-Oct-08 | 28 | F | Maimed | UTSS (Undated), BBC | ? |
| Unnamed [check article for full details] | 21-Oct-08 | 9 | F | Killed | BBC | Kahama, Segese Village |
| Esther Charles | 04-Nov-08 | 10 | ? | Killed | Agence France Press | Shilela Village, Shinyanga |
| Aisha Yusuph | 13-Nov-08 | ? | F | Attacked | UTSS (Undated) | Tanga, Dindira |
| Unnamed 1 | 14-Nov-08 | 2 | ? | Targeted | BBC | Kigoma, Lugufu |
| Unnamed 2 | 14-Nov-08 | 9 | F | Targeted | BBC | Kigoma, Kibondo |
| Unnamed, identified as Daughter of Salma | 16-Nov-08 | Infant | F | Killed | Guardian | Kilimanjaro |
| Unnamed | 16-Nov-08 | ? | F | Maimed | Guardian | Dar es Salaam |
| Unnamed – head in bag [check article for full details] | 16-Nov-08 | Infant | ? | Killed | Guardian | ? |
| Unnamed [Attempted sale of wife] also here and here | 16-11-08 | 24 | F | Trafficked | Guardian, BBC | Southwest? |
| Mtoba Malosa | 01-Jan-09 | 2 | ? | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | ? |
| Angelina Jonas Maduka | 22-Jan-09 | 15 | F | Attacked and raped | UTSS (Undated) | Mwanza, Sengerema, Sogoso |
| Mpelwa Jonas Maduka | 22-Jan-09 | 17 | F | Attacked and raped | UTSS (Undated) | Mwanza, Sengerema, Sogoso |
| Gasper Kilijiwa | 22-Jan-09 | 10 | M | Killed | Reuters | ? |
| Jonas Maduka | 26-Jan-09 | ? | M | Killed | BBC, UTSS (Undated) | Mwanza, Sengerema, Sogoso |
| Unnamed | 26-Jan-09 | 9 months | ? | Killed | NY Times | ? |
| Eunice Bahati | 17-Feb-09 | 12 | F | Killed | UTSS 2012 | ? |
| Unnamed | 23-Feb-09 | 14 | F | Killed | BBC | Mwanza |
| Esther Michael | 01-Mar-09 | 4 | F | Abducted | UTSS (Undated) | Shinyanga, Bariadi, Bulolambesi Village, Bumela ward |
| Unnamed | 09-Jun-09 | 13 | M | Killed | BBC | Shinyanga, Kahama |
| Unnamed | 09-Jun-09 | ? | F | Killed | BBC | Shinyanga, near Kahama? |
| Matatizo Dunia | 23-Sep-09 | 14 | M | Killed | BBC | ? |
| Fatma Mohammad (daughter of Rukia Khalfan) | 08-Feb-10 | 1 | F | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | ? |
| Rukia Khalfan | 08-Feb-10 | 33 | F | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | ? |
| Said Abdallah | 10-Apr-10 | 41 | M | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | Merela Village, Mvomero District, Morogoro |
| Kabula Nkalango | 26-Apr-10 | 13 | F | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | ? |
| Robinson Mkwama, also here | 28-Jul-10 | 20 | M | Trafficked | BBC | Mwanza |
| Unnamed[ii] | 25-Aug-10 | 9 | M | Killed | BBC | ? |
| Unnamed | 15-Nov-10 | 50 | M | Killed | Reuters | ? |
| Unnamed – “attackers…[gave] first aid treatment to victim to stop the bleeding” | 15-Nov-10 | ? | ? | Maimed | Reuters | ? |
| Meriki | 01-Jan-11 | 4 | M | Abducted, hair removed | UTSS (Undated) | Geita, Kasemi |
| Meimosi | 01-Feb-11 | 1 | f? | Attempted murder | UTSS (Undated) | Ukerewe |
| Juma Kapela | 09-Feb-11 | 3 | M | Abducted | UTSS (Undated) | Katavi, Mpanda? |
| Mariamu Juma | 10-Mar-11 | 29 | F | False imprisonment and neglect | UTSS (Undated) | Tanga, Muheza |
| Unnamed Dubious Reuters report 1[iii] | 05-May-11 | ? | M | Killed | Reuters | ? |
| Unnamed Dubious Reuters report 2[iv] | 05-May-11 | ? | M | Killed | Reuters | ? |
| Unnamed Dubious Reuters report 3[v] | 05-May-11 | ? | M | Killed | Reuters | ? |
| Doto Mbiti | 13-May-11 | 14 months | M | Killed | UTSS 2012 | Northwest – Sukuma tribe |
| Majaliwa Ng’hoyelwa | 01-Jun-11 | 11 | M | Targeted | UTSS (Undated) | Geita, Kasamwa |
| Lucas Masanja | 16-Sep-11 | 3 | M | Targeted | UTSS (Undated) | Shinyanga, Bariadi |
| Adam Robert (Tangawizi) also here[vi] | 14-Oct-11 | 12 | M | Maimed | UTSS (Undated), Tz Guardian on Sunday | Geita, Nyaluguguna, Nyijundu ward, Nyang’wale constituency |
| Kulwa Lusana | 21-Oct-11 | 15 | F | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | Shinyanga, Kahama, Mbizi |
| Mawazo Simon | 11-Nov-11 | 5 | M | Assaulted on several occasions (head shaved) maimed | UTSS (Undated) | Geita |
| Elisha Simon (sister of Mawazo) | ? | 3 | F | No information; was she attacked? Was she PWA? | UTSS 2012 | Geita |
| Name withheld for undisclosed reasons[vii] | 23-Nov-11 | ? | F | False imprisonment and neglect | UTSS (Undated) | Pwani, Kibaha, Mbwawa |
| Unnamed Al Jazeera 12 YO M | 14-Dec-11 | 12 | M | Maimed | Al Jazeera | ? |
| Unnamed Al Jazeera 16 YO F | 14-Dec-11 | 16 | F | Maimed | Al Jazeera | ? |
| Thomas | 01-Jan-12 | 35 | M | Maimed | UTSS (Undated) | Musoma? Mara (cf McLeod) |
| Beatrice Sospeter | 01-Mar-12 | 19 | F | Attacked | UTSS (Undated) | Shinyanga, Kishapu |
| Leti Amonius Dionizi | 12-May-12 | 3 | M | Killed | UTSS (Undated) | Kagera, Nyamwala |
| Agneta Dionizi | 12-May-12 | 21 months | F | Targeted | UTSS (Undated) | Kagera, Nyamwala |
| Unnamed | 22-May-12 | 25-30 | ? | Killed and skinned | UTSS 2012 | ? Unlikely to be same as next as BBC doesn’t mention skinning |
| Unnamed | 01-Jun-12 | 30s | M | Killed | BBC | Meru |
| Harubu Nuru | 07-Jun-12 | ? | M | Targeted | UTSS (Undated) | Geita |
| Sinzo Dereva | 01-Oct-12 | 38 | M | Attacked | UTSS (Undated) | Mbeya, Chunya, Songwe, Magamba |
| Lugolola Bunzari | 31-Jan-13 | 7 | M | Killed | BBC | Tabora, Kanunge |
| Bunzari, Grandfather of Lugolola[viii] | 31-Jan-13 | 95 | M | Killed | BBC | Tabora, Kanunge |
| Makunga Baraka | 05-Feb-13 | 7 months | M | Attacked | UTSS (Undated), BBC | Simiyu, near Lamadi (Bariadi is regional capital) |
| Maria Chambanenje | 11-Feb-13 | 38 | F | Maimed | UTSS (Undated), BBC | Rukwa, Sumbawanga, Miangaluwa (Mkowe – BBC) |
| Mwigulu Matonange | 15-Feb-13 | 10 | M | Maimed | UTSS (Undated), BBC | Rukwa, Sumbawanga, Msia |
| Unnamed local albino representative | 30-May-13 | ? | M | Maimed (killed?) | Guardian, UNICEF | Mwanza |
| Hosea sibling 1 | 30-May-13 | ? | M | Targeted | Guardian, UNICEF | Mwanza, now lives in Dodoma |
| Hosea sibling 2 | 30-May-13 | ? | F | Targeted | Guardian, UNICEF | Mwanza, now lives in Dodoma |
| Michael Hosea | 30-May-13 | 15 | M | Targeted | Guardian, UNICEF | Mwanza, now lives in Dodoma |
[i] Victim from Kenya.
[ii] Victim from Burundi.
[iii] Reuters and the author of this report were contacted and failed to corroborate this incident; several senior TAS officials also said (in private conversations) that they were not aware of these three killings and exhumations.
[iv] Reuters and the author of this report were contacted and failed to corroborate this incident; several senior TAS officials also said (in private conversations) that they were not aware of these three killings and exhumations.
[v] Reuters and the author of this report were contacted and failed to corroborate this incident; several senior TAS officials also said (in private conversations) that they were not aware of these three killings and exhumations.
[vi] Victim’s father’s (also referred to as stepfather) second name is ‘Tangawizi’, Swahili for ‘ginger’. Could Robert Tangawizi himself, or a predecessor have been an albino?
[vii] This is not an attack and appears to be an abuse of a disabled person who is also a person with albinism. The abuse began in 2005, before the first probable attack on a person with albinism.
[viii] Victim not a person with albinism.
Keywords: albino, artisanal, fishermen, limb, maim, miners, murder, potion,witchcraft, witchdoctor
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