Cape Verde soldier arrested for killing 11

Authorities in Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of West Africa, arrested a soldier today on suspicion of killing eight fellow soldiers and three civilians at a military barracks on Tuesday.

The killings happened at the barracks telecommunication site at Monte Tchota, about 17 miles from the capital, Praia, according to Cape Verde’s Defense Ministry. Two Spanish technicians were among the dead. Defense Ministry spokeswoman Edna Pinto said police captured the suspect, identified as 22-year-old Manuel Antonio Silva Ribeiro, after a 24-hour manhunt through the Paiol neighborhood of Praia.

“There are strong indications that he was responsible in the events,” the Cape Verdean government said in a written statement yesterday.

After the attack, local officials found nine rifles missing from the barracks in a vehicle in Praia’s Cittadella neighborhood. The attack on the victims, aged 20 to 51, was the result of personal motives and had no connection to either an attack on the government or the drug trafficking rings that plague the archipelago, according to officials.

Security forces at the international airport in Praia and the island’s port remained on red alert until Ribeiro’s capture. Local police also maintained a heavy presence in the capital city. Cape Verde President Jorge Carlos Fonseca said he has canceled an official trip to follow the investigation, noting developments were coming “at a good and positive pace.”

Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony, is made up of 10 islands about 370 miles off the coast of Senegal. The nation is home to some 500,000 people and has been lauded by the international community for its political and economic stability despite its status as a developing country.

But it still struggles with prevailing crime as local authorities continue to crack down on international drug gangs trying to smuggle cocaine into the country. Last week, police seized 600 pounds of cocaine from a yacht. Officials also linked two recent armed attacks against public figures to the drug battle. But the government assured citizens the recent slayings had no connection to the cocaine crisis.

“People are advised to remain calm and serene,” the statement said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.