Agenzia Fides

Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) - One person was killed and 8-9 were wounded and three are in serious condition. This is the toll, still provisional, of today’s clashes, March 5, in Mandritsara in the north-east of Madagascar, as reported to Fides Agency by Fr Luca Treglia, Director of Radio Don Bosco in Antananarivo. The accident occurred near the prison where three alleged killers of Sister Sister Marie Emmanuel Helesbeux, the French nun who was killed on 1 March in the village in Madagascar (see Fides 04/03/2013) are locked up.
"We aired at noon, Madagascar time, a service that was recorded 10 minutes before from our correspondent in Mandritsara, and we could still hear shooting in the background," says Fr. Luca.
A crowd of youths tried to enter the jail to lynch the three men charged with the murder of Sister Emmanuel, who was well liked by the locals. The police responded by firing bullets on the crowd. "Now the people's anger has been directed against the police for having fired on the crowd, composed mostly of young people."
"At the moment it is not possible to understand whether the accident was caused by someone, exploiting popular anger over the death of Sister Emmanuel" said the priest. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 05/03/2013)