French boy in Madagascar is abducted by men outside his school, raising security concerns
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Authorities in Madagascar say a French boy was abducted from outside his school in the southwest of the country.
Hajatiana Ralaikoto, a police official in the town of Toliara, said Wednesday that four men grabbed the 12-year-old on Tuesday.
Ralaikoto says the motive was not clear. He says the boy comes from a family with South Asian roots and may hold other nationalities in addition to his French citizenship.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The French ambassador, Francois Goldblatt, referred to the kidnapping on Twitter, saying "a new and even more unacceptable boundary" had been crossed.
There have been a number of high-profile cases of kidnapping, apparently for ransom, in Madagascar over the last few months. The government of the Indian Ocean nation has been under pressure to deal with a perception of rising insecurity.