DRC: Albinos flee into Uganda

May 18, 2018

For hundreds of refugees from Eastern DRC, Uganda is home. Majority of them flee due to the the endless wars in their home area.

PIC: Gloria and Kelvin, some of the Albinos that attended the attended a refuge talent show in Kamwenge. (Credit: John Semakula

 

CRIME

 

KAMWENGE - Furaha Chakupewa is a mother of four. The 40-year-old fled from her home country, DR Congo in 2016.

 

Chakupewa, now a resident of Kawenge district in Rwamwanja refugee resettlement village said, she made this decision to find a ‘safe heaven' for  her three remaining children, after she lost one of her sons to the rampant albino killings back home.

 

She suspects that her boy who disappeared was targeted and killed because of his colour. "Young albinos in DRC are targeted in ritual murders while going to school. I believe my son was a victim too," said Chakupewa. 

 

Still tourmented by the loss of her child, Chakupewa, a single mother, says the safety of her children; Jane Koleta, Patrick Bwamasu, and Tulizo Siri comes first.

 

She lost her husband, Patrick Kijamba, in the same year after he had returned to DRC in search for their lost child.

 

"We had come to Uganda together with my husband, but he decided to return to Congo to look for our son. He never returned. Right now, I treasure my children more than anything." Chakupewa said.

 

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, albinos in some Great Lakes countries, such as Congo, Burundi, and Tanzania are hunted like wild animals or attacked by people who believe that their body parts have powers that bring protection and luck.

 

Five-year old, Gloria and Kelvin 6 from DRC were also brought into Uganda by their siblings to seek refugee against the targeted killings because of their nature (albinism).

 

Their elder brother, Mack Matabishi told New Vision that even in Uganda they accompany the girls all the time for fear of being targeted, as is the case in Congo.

 

Safasco Nyanda 24, from North Kivu also fled into Uganda recently with a young albino sibling fleeing targeted killings.

 

Chakupewa, her three Albino children and two other refugees at the refugee talent show in Kamwenge district. (Credit:John Semakula)

 

Although it's hard to ascertain the exact number of albinos living at Rwamwanja Refugee Resettlement village, the huge numbers of albinos from DRC who attended a refuge talent show in Kamwenge on Tuesday was evidence to their growing numbers in Uganda.

 

For hundreds of refugees from Eastern DRC, Uganda is home. Majority of them flee due to the the endless wars in their home area.

 

UNHCR has argued that the low literacy levels and ignorance feeds dangerous superstition that is fueling targeted killing of the albinos in the regions.

 

Uganda has so far not experienced targeted killings of albinos even as the country is gripped with kidnaps of particularly women by unknown organised assailants.

 

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