Kamogelo Olaitan
Nineteen people were shot dead by the police in Madagascar on Monday during a protest over the kidnapping of a child with albinism.
The police opened fire on what they described as a “lynch mob”, injuring an additional 21 people in the chaos.
The protestors took to the street after the abduction of a child with albinism last week, the latest in a spike of violent crimes against those with the genetic disorder.
The United Nations reports that there have been a dozen abductions and killings of people with albinism on the island in the past two years.
There is a false belief that the body parts of people living with albinism bring wealth and luck.
National Police Chief Andry Rakotondrazaka said at a news conference that what happened was a “very sad event”, adding “it could have been avoided but it happened”.
Rakotondrazaka said the police did everything to avoid confrontation, including negotiating with the crowd. But “there were provocations and there were people with long-bladed knives and sticks while others hurled stones towards the police”.
A reported kidnapping of a child with albinism happened last week in the town of Ikongo, about 350 km from the capital Antananarivo.
According to an MP in the district, Jean-Brunelle Razafintsiandraofa, four suspects were arrested by paramilitary police in regard to the kidnapping but residents went to their barracks on Monday, demanding that the suspects be handed over.
A police officer who was at the scene told AFP that over 500 protesters, armed with blades and machetes, were trying to force their way into the station.
“There were negotiations but the villagers insisted. Police first fired tear gas and then rounds in the air to try to disperse the crowd but they continued to force their way through. We had no choice but to defend ourselves,” the officer said.
According to Al Jazeera, revenge killings are common in Madagascar.
In February 2017, a mob of 800 people barged into Ikongo prison with the goal of killing a murder suspect who was detained there. They overpowered prison guards, allowing 120 prisoners to break out of jail.
Image source: @NationAfrica
