here is what's coming up for the book orders when you have plenty to talk about your ordeal. going to sleep every weekend. this is the news africa coming up in the next fifteen minutes to indeed take small steps to restrict criticism the president here in britain seems sad has been isolated the international agencies who've been critical of his actions will hear from the u.n. rights activists. and renewed concerns attacks on people with albinism in malawi as the country prepares for a general election and we'll hear from the campaign is demanding will gloria jean's do small.

i'm christine wonderwall come to news africa i'm glad you're chewed in but on days government has forced the u.n. human rights office in the country to close off to twenty three yes this is the latest step in what appears to be a crackdown on criticism by international observers the country's deepening political crisis began in twenty fifteen when president announced he would run for another disputed term that had two months of violence that the u.n. has said killed more than one thousand two hundred people in twenty seventeen buendia made history by becoming the first country to withdrawal from the international criminal court this year has already seen about thirty of the international n.g.o.s shut down their services in the east african country he is the un's human rights spokesperson on the situation in. we have very credible reports on human right. violations and abuses including killings forced

disappearances ill treatment arbitrary arrests and detentions threats and restrictions on the freedom of association expression and movement these are ongoing allegations that we are receiving from november two thousand and sixteen until september two thousand and eighteen. our office received at least eleven thousand and fifty so that's eleven zero five zero allegations of arbitrary arrests and detentions in burundi all right listen magic is central africa director for human rights watch and he joins me now from he's home in vermont i lewis welcome to news africa why is. cracking down on human rights groups in this way. well this is this is a trend that has been emerging in since two thousand and fifteen. has been a protracted crisis now coming on to four years and human rights groups

historically both a lively vibrant civil society that used to exist in the country and groups such as human rights watch used to have a real role in trying to guide the government on policy human rights abuses i think it's important to note that up until two thousand and fifteen in terms of civil society in terms of media and in terms of human rights organizations was a real beacon for the region. an example put forward for freedoms of expression freedom of association and despite major problems in the country in terms of arbitrary detention torture and killing things these groups still have the space with within which to work that all change in twenty fifteen there was an attempted coup. the president has been increasingly more and more isolated and with that come a crackdown on anyone who seeks to to do any type of investigations or indiana

reporting so sadly this is just part of a trend and unfortunately in our opinion and we don't think this trend is going to be changed anytime soon i think the government is becoming more and more specially as we move into a period all right get us i mean you've spent twelve years on this continent right when we talk about organizations such as yours losing access to a country like this is there still some way you are able to monitor what's going on in a given country or does that really just mean you lose the visibility. well we certainly do lose a degree of his ability to be clear the last time human rights watch has worked in twenty sixteen since then it's been difficult for us to gain access to the country so to a degree it is more difficult however that certainly doesn't mean that we stop work on the country the fact of the matter is that technology has made it a lot easier to access people in the country with with limited surveillance

capabilities on the part of the government so we use what we use signal more importantly you must remember that there are hundreds of thousands of burundians who have fled the country and who continue to flee the country on a daily basis they go countries such as tanzania rwanda and uganda with our regional teams we are able to continue to keep an eye on the situation of the city these refugees who are coming out with fresh information regarding state oppression and killings and people being obliged to both donate and join the ruling. party all right you know it's what does the international community do. look burundi was in twenty fifteen twenty sixteen to really kind of got back on the agenda for the united nations and it's been one of an intractable situation since then and in some ways in our opinion there india is kind of fallen back off of the agenda we

think it's vital that ruby maintain its place in the public eye at every occasion parindey should be reminded that this type of this type of behavior france is not acceptable is certainly shouldn't have a seat on the human rights council. and you know international donors and international partners of burundi should remind it that it really needs to take a step back to where it was in the twenty eleven twenty twenty thirteen period it's not to say that things were going swimmingly then there were problems then but there was a type of a political space and there was a space for free association and free expression so it really is going to be in the burden remains on international partners to keep this country in the focus especially as we move into these electoral periods all right louis my central africa director for human rights watch thank you thank you. next story takes us to malawi which as you know launched a crackdown on superstition announcing it will offer cash rewards of up to seven

thousand u.s. dollars for information about abductions and killing of people with albinism the move comes in response to growing anger of the governments the lack of action on the issue that's often a recent spate of attacks on people with albinism which is a genetic order that causes a lack of pigmentation in the skin eyes and hey they've long been targeted in malawi and other african countries have belief that they have body parts can be used in witchcraft to increase well amongst other things. this young girl might never see her brother again she's afraid he's been murdered because like her he was born with albinism. he was abducted from their home in central malawi three weeks ago the family fear the attackers could return. here in this i'm worried about my daughter's safety. who. i don't know how i'm going to

protect the murderer. i'm really worried. that. the u.n. says one hundred fifty people with albinism in malawi have been attacked abducted or killed in the last five years. and if. we as people with albinism in malawi have no peace and we're not protectors devoted. following the boy's abduction in february demonstrators took their concerns to the streets of malawi stead's a district calling on the thirty's to address the issue. so far the response has been slow you know if you look at. this story here in our troop. in terms. of. victims of crime the evil practice has gone way down perhaps the same could work

here it could be that. in an attempt to curb the killings the government is now offering a generous reward for information about attacks on people with albinism but some people say the move doesn't go far enough. ok deborah was in which hanna is regional director for amnesty international in seven africa he joins me now from johannesburg mr which anastacia have you od and welcome to news africa we know that attacks on people with albinism in malawi typically tend to spike around election period and election is coming up in may what's what is behind that. thank you very much for having me is generally true that there are moments in which attacks took a spike and election mormons are one of them because of the existence of a deep seated culture of false beliefs that bourne's own body parts of a person with albinism give you lucky charms but there is

a general problem in the country often talks of people agonise over people with albinism discrimination and deep seated feelings that the justice system is failing so there is a culture of impunity old times you're likely to find abductions killings and a toxin so it might not necessarily be a good elections but it's a general problem that requires decisive leadership all right and speaking about decisive leadership we're hearing some rumblings in the malawian government some minister is considering the death penalty for people who kill people with albinism what do you make of that. or kill people who kill people to demonstrate that getting to people is bed i think the idea that if you impose the death penalty you will miss suddenly vanish and disappear the program off systematic discrimination deep seated attacks and killings of caissons with albinism his followers as you

normally see from national is opposed to the death penalty for crimes and believes that in malawi these enough tools in the criminal justice system to work with in order to ensure that this problem has disappeared in twenty sixteen when we did face to reporting the country we were with the government to ensure that there were legislative reforms on the anatomy act as well as the panel court but what has not happened is the slow pace of justice the absence of investigative process in the absence of skills within the police to do d.n.a. testing as well as simply so that you are able to ensure that kind committed in various parts of the this can come together and be limited once and for all right yet you have to add i mean amnesty to that has come out about two reports on this in malawi the most recent being last to get it to the twenty sixteen one what has culminated from that work. one of those wiki has resulted in good

about the human rights of persons with albinism across the country because we've mounted a huge human rights education campaign together with that's what's the issue of presence with albinism the un country team and other c.v. bodies but we also have seen legislative changes and the anatomy of the pen and provision of sons congressional government both facilities what is not moved is the community justice system it has not responded efficiently and would speak to ensure that those arrested were taken through if it kept process and sentenced and impunity as will continue to train people being killed in custody when they're undergoing investigations and the absence of social protection security protection and safety these are the things that continue to create powerful and that we now see over the last two months at least the abduction killings of cases that have not been concluded and investigated so the government need to strengthen its criminal

justice system and it needs to sit secure a social security protection of just seven thousand people who are talking about a huge population group right much and a regional director for amnesty international southern africa thank you. and that is that funding sapphic that was to take till next time by fight. what keeps us in shape what makes a city and how do we still have. my name is dr. i talk to medical experts. i watch them at work. and i discuss what you can do to improve your health. state use and let's all try to stay. on the w.

and. language courses. video and audio. w. media center. hello welcome it sought some culture all the way for the next quarter of an armed robber merrill is what's coming up. a new superhero film captain marvel starring breed opens around the. country. all very correspondent mathis reaches belgium on his feet you played making this for. bots we begin with one of the major exhibitions of the year

in germany two giants of the renaissance and grandma giovanni bellini coming together in an exhibition of bold them one hundred of their works this is being made possible by cooperation between london's national gallery and measure the gallery who between them zest the most works by these artists outside destiny. isn't how it is the man in charge of an in-state museums. quite a lot of his time but even he is getting quite a few civs about this latest. does it by communities three paintings by mind incredibly influential in history it's like a.