A six-year-old albino boy had his hand hacked off in a savage attack by a gang who use body parts for witchcraft . Baraka Cosmas was sleeping at his mother 's house in Kipenda , Tanzania , on Saturday night when a group of men stormed in and grabbed him , police said . They beat up his mother before using machetes to cut off the boy 's right hand . A six-year-old albino boy had his hand hacked off in Tanzania in a savage attack by a gang who use body parts for witchcraft . The latest assault comes days after Tanzania 's President Jakaya Kikwete blasted the wave of killings and attacks against albinos as a 'disgusting and big embarrassment for the nation ' . He said : ' I believe that with close co-operation between the government and society , we will succeed in ending these killings of persons with albinism and rid our nation of this shame . ' A police spokesman said : 'The gangsters got hold of the victim 's mother , Prisca Shaaban , and beat her severely after she refused to hand over the boy . Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete ( above ) blasted the wave of killings and attacks against albinos as a 'disgusting and big embarrassment for the nation ' 'The assailants later used machetes to cut off the boy 's right palm and walked out . ' Albino body parts are thought to sell for around $ 600 ( £397 ) with an entire corpse fetching nearly $ 75,000 ( £49,685 ) , a UN expert said . At least 75 albinos have died in the region since 2000 . Earlier in the week four people were sentenced to death for the murder of 22-year-old albino woman Zawadi Mangidu . Tanzanian police on Monday banned a planned demonstration by the Tanzania Albinism Society in the country 's commercial capital , Dar es Salaam , citing security reasons . But Kikwete has said he had agreed to meet albino leaders next week to discuss possible solutions to the killings . The murders have been concentrated in the gold-rich regions and fishing communities surrounding the country 's Lake Victoria , where superstitious beliefs are rampant . Albinism is a hereditary genetic condition which causes a total absence of pigmentation in the skin , hair and eyes . It affects one Tanzanian in 1,400 often as a result of inbreeding , experts said . In the West , it affects just one person in 20,000 . Albinos are seen as curses , or 'ghosts ' who can be wiped off the face of the earth in many parts of Tanzania . Families are often told to kill the children at birth . Yet , conversely , their body parts are highly prized . Witch doctors claim albino body parts are capable of bringing riches , power and success , if used in potions , while a UN report report into the trade revealed miners used the bone as amulets , or would bury them where they are drilling for gold . Fishermen are said to weave the hair into their nets to help them catch more fish . Children are particularly vulnerable - their innocence is highly valued and they are not as strong as the adults attacking them . Most of the time , limbs are taken but a recent report noted that there have been cases where victims were beheaded , or had their genitals , ears , and bits of skin removed . Tongues can also be cut out or the eyes and the heart gouged out . Other types of attacks reported include rape for healing purposes . Possibly , most shockingly , some believe the louder the screams while the limb is removed , the more potent the charm .
Baraka Cosmas was murdered at his family home in Tanzania . Gang beat up mother before cutting off his right arm with knives . Individual albino body parts sold for around $ 500 ( £ 397 ) each . They are thought to bring wealth , fame and success to a person .