Tanzania - Oct 10

Police have arrested 23 people in a Tanzanian village after reports emerged that seven people were murdered in accusation of witchcraft. Five of the people killed were over 60 years old and the remaining two were over the age of 40. It is believed that some of the women killed were witchdoctors, relied upon by the community for healing. The victims were attacked with machetes and burned alive by a village mob. Witch hunts are not uncommon in Tanzania, were belief in magic is strong. The Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC), a local human rights group estimates that 500 witches are killed annually, with as many as 3,000 being murdered between 2005 and 2011. Young children are often targeted, as well as albinos due to the superstition that their body parts act as charms to bring good fortune.

Source: BBC Africa, Mail & Guardian