Malawi's President Peter Mutharika has set up a commission of inquiry to investigate attacks against people with albinism.

The commission, headed by a retired supreme court judge, is expected to establish whether there is a trade in body parts and to find out why the justice system has been slow to convict perpetrators.

People with albinism in Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania have been killed because of the mistaken belief that rituals involving parts of their bodies can bring good luck and wealth.

On Wednesday, police in Malawi blocked a protest march by dozens of people with albinism who were trying to present a petition to the president following a spike in attacks. (BBC)