EAST AFRICA - 65 Witchdoctors Arrested In Tanzania Over Killings Of Children And Innocent Citizens

The police in Tanzania have arrested 65 ''witchdoctors'', or traditional healers, in the connection in connection with the ritual killing of at least 10 children within a short period of time.

The children were killed in January and many had body parts taken off or removed.

There is a belief among some people in the East African country of Tanzania and it's neighboring countries, that using human body parts in rituals can bring wealth and good luck.

The inspector general of police, Simon Sirro, has ordered that every traditional healer must obtain a license.

''We have also requested other institutions like religious leaders and politicians to help us,'' he included.

Ten (10) children were murdered in the south-wester Njombe region and an unknown number in the northern Simuyu region.

One of the children, Goodluck Mfugale, was just five years old when he was killed. His parents told BBC their son had been robbed of his future. There is a particular belief that the body parts of people with albinism are especially potent in the rituals, leading to many killings.

However, it is not clear if any of the 10 children known to have been killed had albinism. 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.

Activists on the continent say poverty contributes to the suspicion surrounding albinos and the belief their body parts can be sold for large sums of money.