Forty-eight boys in Zambia have been rescued from a male circumcision camp after parents complained that their children had been abducted. One of the boys, who is HIV-positive, had not taken his anti-retroviral medication for two weeks.
The boys, aged between 10 and 17, were found in unsanitary and dangerous conditions at the camp, which was set up without permission on the outskirts of Livingstone town. Three of the boys were hospitalized for treatment, including one who was suffering from bilharzia, a chronic illness that impairs growth and brain development in children.
The initiation site, which was established two weeks ago, has been burnt down, according to the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC). The person who set up the camp was reprimanded by Mainga Kabika, the top civil servant in the gender ministry, who said, “We want to preserve our tradition, but you have to follow regulations. You just don’t do things against the law like this.”
The boys were forced to undergo circumcision, typically done using razor blades, and were not allowed to leave the camp. Some parents received phone calls demanding money for expenses, despite not giving permission for their child’s participation.
Although surgical male circumcision is available at hospitals in Zambia, certain ethnic groups prefer the traditional approach. However, the procedure is steeped in secrecy, and women are not allowed to go near the circumcision site.
The rescue operation was welcomed by Billy Milimo, secretary of the Livingstone District Education Board, who said, “You do not know how excited we are. Our teachers will jubilate and dance.”
The owner of the camp was initially arrested but released on condition that he burn down the site, which was made up of rough wooden shelters and bordered a national park and a cemetery.
