At least 14 people have been killed and 28 others injured as police in Madagascar opened fire on a crowd attempting to break into a police station. The crowd was seeking to take the law into their own hands and kill four men accused of kidnapping an albino child.
The kidnapping occurred in the Ikongo district, located about 80 kilometers southeast of Antananarivo, the capital. According to Razafintsiandraofa, an MP for the district, the incident took place last week.
Reports indicate that around 500 enraged villagers, armed with machetes and knives, stormed the local police station, demanding the release of the four kidnapping suspects arrested on Sunday, August 28.
One police officer stated, “They then tried to break into the station.” Negotiations were attempted, and when the villagers persisted, the police deployed smoke grenades and fired shots into the air in an effort to disperse the crowd. The officer explained, “They kept pushing their way through… We had no choice but to defend ourselves.”
Nine people died instantly, as confirmed by local doctor Tango Oscar Toky. Five others passed away later in the hospital, and nine of the injured are currently in critical condition, according to Toky.
Local lawmaker Jean-Brunelle Razafintsiandraofa in the southeastern city of Ikongo reported, “The gendarmes… fired at the crowd.”
Incidents of attacks on individuals with albinism have been reported in various sub-Saharan African countries. This is due to the high demand and lucrative trade in albino body parts for ritual purposes.
