Amidst ongoing sectarian violence in the region, horror struck Central African Republic (CAR) when nobody intervened while a cannibal identifying himself as ‘Mad Dog’ ate another person’s flesh during a mob attack on January 12.
“I am the naughty one. I ate his leg, the whole thing right down to the bone - with bread. That's why people call me Mad Dog,” said Ouandja Magloire in broken French.
According to media reports, a group of 20 youths forced the victim off a bus in Bangui and physically abused him before stabbing him to death and setting him alight. Soon after, Magloire, who identifies himself as ‘Mad Dog’ came forward and started to eat the flesh off the victim’s leg.
“I kicked his legs out from under him. He fell down. I stabbed his eyes. Muslim! Muslim! I stabbed him in the head. I poured petrol on him. I burned him. Then I ate his leg, the whole thing right down to the white bone. That's why people call me Mad Dog,” he elucidated.
He later justified his act to the BBC as revenge for the murder of his pregnant wife, sister-in-law and her baby. During his interview, a small crowd of Christians gathered around Magloire to shake his hand and pat him on the head for his “heroic deed”. Video footages of the horrifying incident recorded on mobile phones have now started emerging online.
According to witnesses, nobody on the busy street intervened to help the victim and stop Magloire because every Christian is furious with the Muslims in the region. For fear of being killed and sexually abused, they have reportedly formed self-defense groups that are carrying out their own share of killings as well.
Tensions between Muslims and Christians in CAR have been increasing at a shocking pace since the rebels established the country’s first Muslim leader in March 2013. Aid agencies have referred to the situation as a humanitarian crisis and there are growing fears of the country collapsing. While 20 percent of its population has already fled from their homes for refuge in neighbouring countries, those that remain constantly fear genocide. Both sides have been carrying out merciless attacks with machetes.
