Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the umbrella of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) have denied allegations that the grouping is conniving with suspects in the abduction of persons with albinism in the country to pin-down President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.
Poor and Concerned People with Albinism, a sprinter group of the Association of Persons with Albinims in Malawi (APAM and the so-called Islamic Commission for Justice and Freedom (ICJF) recently issued a statement accusing UTM President Dr. Saulos Chilima of funding the said CSOs to solicit recordings aimed at implicating President Mutharika in the albino killings.
In the statement jointly signed by PACPWA Chairperson Francis Masambuka and Chief Commissioner for ICJF Shaibu Abdul Rahaman Ajassie, alleged that the recent vigil held by APAM in Lilongwe was sponsored by Chilima.
The grouping said the actions of Mtambo and his fellow human right defenders are suspicious and need to be investigated.
Reacting to the claims, HRDC led by Timothy Mtambo accused PACPWA of being used by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to divert the attention of Malawians.
“We at the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) are dismayed but not surprised by the cheap, confused and dangerous allegations being peddled by the pro-government Poor and Concerned Persons with Albinism (PACPWA) and the so-called Islamic Commission for Justice and Freedom (ICJF) aimed at diverting stakeholder’s attention from discussing how government has helplessly failed to address the abduction and killing of person with albinism in Malawi.
“We are irked that the two groupings have deliberately chosen to advance their selfish and partisan interests at the expense of the lives of our brother and sisters with albinism. These careless utterances are aimed at frustrating sober strategies that are being championed by relevant authorities to get to the bottom of the attacks, abductions and killings of persons with albinism. PACPWA and ICJF should desist from being used by selfish politicians to satisfy their selfish interests,” reads in part the statement by Mtambo.
He added: We take this opportunity to remind the Democratic Progressive Party and its functionaries to refrain from frustrating efforts that are aimed at ending killing of persons with albinism but rather hasten in finding lasting solutions to the national embarrassments; abduction and killing of persons with albinism.
“We wish to remind all our detractors that no amount of propaganda, mudslinging nor smear campaign will slow us down in our drive to hold duty bearers accountable to the human rights promises. We will not tire in demanding accountability on all human rights violations and poor governance including corruption which is happening under full watch of the Mutharika leadership.”
So far 25 people living with Albinisms in Malawi have been killed while several others are still missing.
