At least 65 witchdoctors have been arrested in Tanzania for what has been described as the “barbaric ritualistic killings of children” in that country—part of an ongoing trade in body parts which are used in “traditional medicine” all over Africa.
Reports revealed that the arrests follow the discovery of the hacked-up remains of at least 10 children in Njombe region and other similar incidents in the northern Simiyu region in late January.
Forty-five witchdoctors from Simiyu, and 20 others from Njombe have been arrested over the killings, Inspector General of Police Simon Sirro told reporters.
He also announced that there would be an ongoing “crackdown on traditional doctors, who are the prime suspects in the ritualistic killings.”
“I have ordered that every traditional doctor, both registered and unregistered, must be interrogated and inspected, and those who will be identified as criminals, then the law will take its course, but after that, we have also ordered the authorities to start fresh registration, but we have also requested other institutions like religious leaders and politicians to help us,” he said.
An earlier report by the BBC revealed that the children “had their ears and teeth removed,” and “some of the bodies of the children, aged between two and nine years old, were also missing limbs.”
“This is all about superstitious beliefs and many believe they will get help from witchcraft,” Njombe District Commissioner Ruth Msafiri said.
Correspondents say that some witchdoctors in the region tell people that human body parts have special properties that can bring them wealth and luck.
“We urge all parents and guardians to be on alert and teach their children on how determine the motives of who is around them,” the district commissioner told the BBC.
The children were taken from their homes at night when their parents were selling food at a market.
There is a particular belief that the body parts of people with albinism are especially potent in the rituals, leading to many killings. Albinism is particularly prevalent in Tanzania with one in 1,400 affected, according to a 2006 BMC Public Health report. This compares with one in 20,000 in Western countries.
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