Over 30 killed in massacre in Madagascar

According to the police, the village of Ambolotarakely, located 75 kilometers north of the capital Antananarivo, was attacked on Friday by a group of cattle rustlers, known as dahalos. The attackers set fire to the houses and the victims were burned to death.

According to local authorities in the area, a dispute over land may have been behind the attack, which hit two families.

The village is remote, around ten hours’ walk from the nearest police station, and was completely deserted on Monday.

– It is a ghost town now, all the inhabitants have left for fear of the dahalos, says Seth Andriamarohasina who heads the Independent National Commission for Human Rights (CNIDH).

The police in Madagascar announced on Monday that they had arrested five people suspected of being connected to the gang behind the attack.

Soldiers and helicopters from the country’s army have been deployed in the search for the culprits.

– It is a completely unacceptable act of violence that must be punished very severely, says Defense Minister Richard Rakotonirina.

(©NTB)

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