Mob rules?

I came across an article today on Reuters about the election in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Apparently a drunken army sergeant killed two election workers. Here’s what I find amazing:

“…people tried to lynch the soldier but when he was arrested went on a rampage destroying about half the polling stations in the town of Fakati, north of Bunia.”

What I don’t understand is how people can go from vigilantes to anarchists. What is the thought process going on here? Maybe I don’t understand the Congolese people or maybe, since I’ve never participated, I just can’t sympathize with mob thinking. Makes me wonder!