Bomb alert: who is going to be the scapegoat?

And thus, the bomb alert is even more alarmist. A hand made engine has been recovered Thursday in the district of Akorondrano. « It has been discovered in time and fortunately, a competent army corporal was on the spot », commented the State police official in charge of the investigation.  

This second bomb alert causes a lot more questions than the first. Some days earlier, an engine concealed in a bag has been put back by a customer to the supermarket’s left-luggage office in Ankadimbahoaka, the supermarket is part of an international group made famous for its low prices. The caped man bought quite excessively expensive compared to his appearance, commented the investigators.  

Shortly after… boom. The packet blasted near a till. At 18h45, the store is nearly empty. Miraculously, officially » by god’s grace « , nobody was around by that time. The worse has been avoided because the engine was a hand made cluster bomb of nails.  

The news of a terrorist attempt didn’t spark. The investigators heard all witnesses registered by the camera. There is only a woman left to be reached by the authorities, she ran away with a child after the explosion. The second bomb found in Ankorondrano is supposed to spark off public vigilance against a true terrorist threat.  

Who is targeted? Innocent victims? There’s been none yet and collateral damages seem to have been voluntarily avoided. About presumed authors or masterminds of an attempt? Everybody is on the defensive. The legalistic and pro-Ravalomanana side were the first to react affirming that they condemn these facts and that they don’t have anything to do with them. A second bomb unveiled in the districts of the anti-HAT demonstrations has reinforced their « plot theory ».  

For the Transition’s Prime minister, the incentives of these « terrorists » are clear. They try to demoralize the Madagascans « , he said. Monja Roindefo already knows the guilty parties: « we already know everything that concerns these attempts; we know more or less who is behind « . He merely puts them down to political motives, asserting that it is the job of those who want to prevent the country to move towards elections.  

In any case, with the » terrorist threat » from inside and the invasion threat of foreign « mercenaries », the government has what it takes to frighten a population it wants reassured. « It is necessary to take the precautions, to take adequate measures, hence the Vigi-Mada plan has been implemented « , summarized Monja Roindefo. As for all of « vigi » type plans or vigilance, it goes down better when the threat is genuine. Such has been now twice demonstrated.