A nightmare for people with albinism

By Justin BELONGOl LNC

(Bangui, 29 September 2026 | LAMINE MÉDIA) The new school year began across the country, marked by the high cost of living and recurring problems within the national education system (shortages of equipment, teachers, etc.), but another issue has arisen: prejudice amongst pupils, with albino pupils being called, for example, ‘mermaids’, ‘bad luck charms’ or ‘aliens’. As this is a recurring issue, the Association for Albinism Solidarity in the Central African Republic (ASCA) was founded in 2024 to combat discrimination against people with albinism.
Sylvain Dieu Merci Mokomboko, an albino in his twenties, commented: “I faced discrimination at school; I also suffered psychological abuse,” adding, “There were those who wouldn’t even sit next to me. And then there were those who called me names, [saying] that I was just an alien. Others said that I didn’t look like a human
being at all.”
Ann Loïc Kemba, president of ASCA, said: “ We have first and foremost launched awareness campaigns to break down prejudices and restore a normal life for these individuals, [and ensure] their socio-economic and socio-cultural rights are respected.”
As Sylvain points out, people with albinism have specific needs: “It’s about finding glasses that can help us see properly,


For: LAMINE MEDIA (in FR and GB).
Date: 27 September 2026
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