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Madagascar's Wild West

November 25, 2017 in Photo Essay

“In the vast roadless expanses of Madagascar’s South and Western plains, the cattle rustlers reign.”

James Patrick-6391.jpg

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Dahalo (bandits and cattle rustlers) are accused of thousands of murders each year in Madagascar

Their strongholds are the expansive grasslands of madagascar’s south and west where the culture and economy revolve around cattle

Complicity in their crimes runs deep in the zone rogues (regions beyond the effective control of central law enforcement) and lines of innocence and guilt are difficult to draw

Many trace the phenomenon of modern banditry to the tradition of young Bara and Antandroy men proving their eligibility by stealing cattle from neighbouring villages

But while traditional theft had more to do with initiation the modern phenomenon is money driven

Decades of regional insecurity, crumbling infrastructure and growing global demand for beef have birthed a new breed of professional cattle thief – the malasoa

These men are the foot soldiers of a mafia that trades in illegal beef

Most are not shy of killing. and as cattle stocks diminish, so does the price of life

Malasoa operate in gangs, living in the wilderness with their wives and children

Existence is rudimentary and food is stolen, hunted and foraged

Growing up in bandit territory seals a young man's fate

For those inside, it is a family business like any other

Ammunition is expensive and Spent shotgun shells are reused up to 5 times

Gunpowder is mixed using potassium nitrate, charcoal and cow shit

New shot is forged from the lead in old car batteries

Raids are carried out on the livestock of towns and villages in a territory that extends 100s of km

Allied gangs or local informants will alert the chief to a possible target

The malasoa may march for days straight with the stolen cattle to outrun the pursuers

Bandits are armed mostly with old French and Russian shotguns but also wear magical ornaments that are said to protect from bullets

The combination of physical and supernatural power plays on superstitions and the fear in instils in local populations is the bandit’s most potent weapon

Often the time and target of a raid is made known in advance – it is the victim’s choice whether he will risk resisting the bandits

Though increasingly frequently the owner of the cattle – or his son or wife – are assassinated before the raid to discourage pursuit

The region’s tombs are full of the victims of this conflict. While others grow rich from its proceeds those facing starvation are forced into the firing line, to protect wealth or steal it

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Tags: Madagascar, Wild West, Cowboy, Bandits, Dahalo, Malasoa, Cattle, Zebu, Cattle Rustling, Raid

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