UN condemns attack on woman with albinism
The United Nations (UN) has condemned the recent attack on Tafwauli Ngona, a woman with albinism in Mzimba District, who lost two toes in the process.
In a statement released Monday, UN Resident Coordinator, Maria Jose Torres, commended Malawi Police Service for arresting three suspects.
The statement, however, says the UN is concerned that the attacks have resurfaced just after the Constitutional Court ruled that there should be fresh presidential election within 150 days from February 3 2020.
“In the lead-up to the elections in Malawi last year, we saw a spike in the number of attacks and killings against Malawians with albinism– attacks that stem from root causes such as the negative mystification of albinism, stigma, poverty and harmful practices. As political contestations heighten after the Constitutional Court decision, this attack raises concerns for the safety of persons with albinism,” she said.
In the statement, UN calls on the government to ensure adequate financial resources to fully implement the National Action Plan on Persons with Albinism.
The statement notes that the UN Resolution A/RES/72/140 on persons with albinism, adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly on December 17 2017, refers to the need to address the causes of discrimination and violence against persons with albinism through ongoing awareness-raising and social behaviour change campaigns.
The UN further calls for an effective justice system to hold perpetrators of these crimes accountable, saying the UN team in Malawi stands ready to provide any technical advice necessary to achieve these goals.
