【Amboasary, M】Madagascar: MPs Criticize Government Inaction Over Southern Clashes

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Editor’s Note

This article contains statements from local officials describing casualties and criticizing the government’s response to a security situation in southern Madagascar. The claims have not been independently verified by our newsroom.

Madagascar: Des députés critiquent l'inaction du gouvernement face aux affrontements du sud du pays
Deputies Condemn Government Response

“The application of the law is very fragile,” declared the vice-president of the lower house.

“We have so far recorded ten deaths, three missing persons, and four women and one child taken hostage,” a chief of the Amboasary South district, located about 700 km south of Antananarivo, told Anadolu on Thursday under condition of anonymity.

She further added:

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“Other figures are circulating regarding the toll of the clashes, but for us, the missing persons and those taken hostage are not considered dead,” she continued.
Criticism of Government Slowness

Commenting on the heavy toll from the settling of scores between the inhabitants of Andranondambo and Andranotsivala, two villages located about 85 km south of Amboasary, against a backdrop of cattle theft and mining exploitation, some MPs criticized the government for a certain slowness marking its interventions in this kind of dispute.

“This crisis is not new, and southern Madagascar has always been prone to instability. But the responsible authorities only intervene when there is loss of life,” lamented Siteny Andrianasoloniaiko, vice-president of the lower house representing Toliara province, in a statement to Anadolu.
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The MP also pointed to a lack of rigor in the application of laws in his country.

“The application of the law is very fragile. That’s why people allow themselves to act this way. Then, the trafficking of zebus to supply the capital with meat, and to serve illegal export, reinforces the phenomenon. This is the opinion of many parliamentarians,” he explained.
Scale of Destruction and Root Causes

The deadly clashes between the two villages in the far south of Madagascar occurred on Thursday evening following very tense days recently. The village of Andranondambo was 98% destroyed. Houses were destroyed and burned, including the church and school, during the clashes, and the 3,691 identified inhabitants fled the area to Amboasary South, according to the district official of Amboasary.

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The conflict between the two villages is fueled by two factors, notably cattle theft issues between the two communities, and the presence of a sapphire mine in the area separating the two villages.

Some observers suggest there is an instigator who wants to seize the land and has sown chaos among the people.
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⏰ Published on: May 15, 2014