Tanzania instituted a nationwide ban on witchdoctors this week in a move to protect albino citizens.
Witchdoctors commonly believe that body parts of people with albinism — a condition that represents the lack of a particular pigment in the skin — bring good luck and wealth, prompting several attacks on albinos recently.
The country’s Home Affairs Minister Mathias Chikawe said any practicing witchdoctors will henceforth be arrested and taken to court, the BBC reports.
Around 70 albinos have been murdered in the past three years, but only 10 people have been convicted over the killings.
[BBC]
More Must-Reads From TIME
- What Student Photojournalists Saw at the Campus Protests
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Why Maternity Care Is Underpaid
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Scientists Are Finding Out Just How Toxic Your Stuff Is
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com