African Court Condemns Tanzania’s Albinism Rights Failures

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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Tanzania Faces Historic Human Rights Reckoning

In February 2025, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights delivered a seismic ruling against Tanzania. Judges condemned systemic failures to protect persons with albinism (PWAs) from ritual attacks and discrimination. This marked the first continental-level legal action addressing albinism-related human rights violations (Legal and Human Rights Centre).

Court documents revealed 206 attacks on PWAs between 2006 and 2022, including 76 murders. Shockingly, 63% targeted children under 15. Tanzania’s security forces failed to investigate 89% of these cases, creating what the court called “a culture of impunity” (IHRDA). Authorities now face strict orders to implement reforms within two years or risk AU sanctions.

Systemic Discrimination Exposed in Landmark Case

Judges identified three structural issues enabling violence against PWAs. First, they criticized Tanzania’s 1928 Witchcraft Act for lacking albinism-specific protections. Second, they noted that only 12% of police stations had officers trained to handle PWA cases. Third, the education system failed to accommodate visual impairments, affecting 94% of PWAs (Legal and Human Rights Centre).

Medical neglect proved particularly damning. Only 3% of health centers stocked sunscreen despite 100% of PWAs needing UV protection. The court ordered immediate distribution of protective kits and mandatory clinician training. These measures aim to reduce Tanzania’s 80% skin cancer rate among PWAs, which is 10,000 times higher than the general population (OHCHR).

Children Bear Brunt of Protection Failures

Over 300 children with albinism remain in state shelters, according to 2024 data. These facilities lack educational resources, with only 23% providing Braille materials. The court mandated family reunification programs and $500 monthly stipends for guardians (Human Rights Watch).

Psychosocial impacts proved severe. A 2023 study found that 78% of shelter residents showed PTSD symptoms. The ruling orders trauma counseling services in all 26 regions by 2026. This intervention targets Tanzania’s 92% treatment gap for mental health services affecting PWAs (NCBI Study).

Reparations Set New Continental Standard

Tanzania must establish a $3.7 million compensation fund for attack survivors within 18 months. Payments range from $15,000 for emotional trauma to $150,000 for families of deceased victims. The government also must amend six laws to criminalize albinism discrimination specifically (IHRDA).

Implementation monitoring will occur through bi-annual AU reports. Failure to comply could trigger economic sanctions under Article 23 of the African Charter. This creates enforceable accountability, which was missing in previous regional human rights decisions (Legal and Human Rights Centre).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman has been a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.