A tense situation is felt in Belo amoron’i Tsiribihina. The head of a catechist of the Lutheran Church beheaded on Saturday remains untraceable.
Severe. Insecurity could still degenerate in Belo amoron’i tsiribihina following the barbaric murder of François Soja, catechist of the Lutheran Church in Andranofoty.
No arrests can yet be made as the tension has escalated. The victim belonged to a very sensitive ethnic group. Suspects have already been targeted, but we must first focus on customary funeral practices to manage the situation, as reported by a local colleague.
Dr. Denis Rakotozafy, president of the Lutheran Church of Madagascar, has also stressed that an ethnic clash is to be feared. The gendarmes returned from the chase yesterday. According to the latest news, the traces of the murderers have been erased. The results of the investigation collected at this stage are not worth much.
The mystery thickens as to the motive of the crime. The evangelist and his comrades met the deputy at the district capital on Saturday. They asked him for sheets to cover the house of the Lord. Their request was accepted and the roof will be delivered around October, it says. François Soja and his delegation separated on their return.
Complicated
Their village is 12 km west of the city. The catechist took a faster route of 8 km, while the others followed the normal route. But the shortcut would be a dahalo pass.
“Everyone had arrived safely, except the preacher. We tried to call him, but he was unreachable. His family waited until the evening, with no response, ”explains another civilian source.
That evening, a young man noticed a person lying by the side of the road. He did not dare approach him. He rushed to the village to tell the others. Unfortunately, no one cared about his story. They told him to wait until the next day to check. Now, it was very much the lifeless body of the catechist.
According to the report, the victim lost his head, certainly carried away by his murderers. He was still well dressed. His bag and cell phone are gone. Elements of the gendarmerie carried out a search.
“At the moment, it is difficult to capture anyone. It is also possible that the deceased had encountered dahalo in this dangerous place. And he got killed for his bag and his phone. The investigation is going well, anyway, ”says a policeman.
“What happened and what we are experiencing today only orients us even more towards God. The Holy Scriptures have already recounted the existence of martyrs executed for their belief in Jesus Christ,” recalls Pastor Rakotozafy to encourage his faithful.