2009 Malagasy protests
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Malagasy political crisis involved a series of anti-government demonstrations in Madagascar
in early 2009, culminating in military involvement and the accession of opposition leader Andry Rajoelina
to the Presidency. The protests began in January 2009 and were aimed at the government of President Marc Ravalomanana
. The protests, which turned violent, were organized and spearheaded by Rajoelina, who was the mayor of the capital city of Antananarivo
and a prominent opponent of President Ravalomanana. At least 130 people were killed in Madagascar during the crisis.
The protests were seen as the gravest challenge faced by the Ravalomanana government since he came to office in 2002. President Ravalomanana vowed to restore order "whatever the cost", according to a government statement, while opposition leader Rajoelina called for the dissolution of the government and the formation of a transitional government under his leadership.
On 16 March 2009, one of the palaces of President Ravalomanana, the Ambohitsorohitra Palace
, was stormed and taken by soldiers of the Malagasy Army. The president was not in the stormed palace at the time. The African Union
condemned the action, calling it an "attempted coup d'etat
". Rajoelina insisted that the palace seizure was not a coup, although he immediately installed himself in the presidential offices of the captured palace.
Ravalomanana had already moved out of the Iavoloha palace to an undisclosed location. The military junta, consisting of senior military personnel, would have been charged with organizing elections within 24 months and re-writing the constitution for the "Fourth Republic". However, Vice Admiral Ramaroson announced on 18 March that it would transfer power directly to Rajoelina, making him president of the opposition-dominated High Transitional Authority that he had appointed weeks earlier. Madagascar's constitutional court deemed the transfer of power, from Ravalomanana to the military board and then to Rajoelina, to be legal.
According to Rajoelina's Prime Minister Monja Roindefo
, the transfer of power was not a coup d'état but instead "the direct expression of democracy, when representative democracy does not express itself through the institutions". Rajoelina was officially sworn in on 21 March before a crowd of 40,000 supporters.
On the same day, Malagasy navy troops called for Rajoelina's resignation by 25 March 2009, threatening to use force otherwise to protect the constitution of Madagascar.
in December 2007.
The relationship between Rajoelina and the Malagasy government further deteriorated on December 13, 2008, after the government shut down a television station owned by Rajoelina. Rajoelina's television station was shuttered for airing an interview with exiled former President Didier Ratsiraka
.
Rajoelina called a general strike during the weekend of January 24–25, 2009, in the capital city, Antananarivo
, against Ravalomanana, whom he has called a dictator
. Ravalomanana, who was in South Africa
, cut short his trip to a regional summit
in Pretoria
, and flew back to Madagascar
. In a statement Ravalomanana accused the mayor of attempting a coup saying, "The call for revolt and civil disobedience
... corresponds to a coup d'etat
...tramples on the values of the constitution
and the republic's institutions."
On Monday, January 26, 2009, the protests turned increasingly violent. Demonstrators set fire to the Madagascar state-owned radio building, attacked a private television station owned by Ravalomanana and looted shops and businesses throughout the city.
At 3 a.m. on January 26, 2009, armed government security agents reportedly disabled the transmitter of Viva Radio, a private radio station owned by Rajoelina.
Protesters ransacked two pro-government television stations in Antananarivo. Thousands of protesters raided and looted the headquarters of the Radio Nationale Malgache and Télévision Nationale Malgache building around 1 p.m. local time on January 26, 2009. About an hour later demonstrators burned down the Malagasy Broadcasting System, a private station owned by President Ravalomanana. A policeman and a 14-year old protester were reportedly killed in the clashes at the Malagasy Broadcasting System attacks.
Firefighters found the bodies of at least 25 people in the ruins of a burned out, looted department store
in downtown Antananarivo. The bodies were thought to be those of looters who became trapped in the burning shop when the roof caved in. In total, 44 people died. Their bodies were taken to a morgue, and all but ten of them were found to be severely burned.
In a show of defiance against the government, Rajoelina called for all Antananarivo residents to stay home on 29 January 2009. This "ghost town" (ville morte) protest basically closed all stores and businesses in the capital city.
The Roman Catholic Cardinal
emeritus
of Antananarivo Armand Razafindratandra appealed for calm as the protests spread outside of the capital. All state and private radio stations in the country reportedly ceased broadcasting, with the exception of Radio Don Bosco, which is run by the Salesian
religious order
.
Rajoelina said on 31 January that he was taking control of the country due to the failure of Ravalomanana and the government to fulfill their responsibilities. He said that a request for Ravalomanana's "immediate resignation" would be submitted to Parliament
"in order to comply with the legal procedure". Furthermore, he asked that the central bank
withhold money from the government, that all government ministries close, and that the security forces join him. Rajoelina said that he wanted the constitution to be respected and that it was Ravalomanana who had violated the constitution. According to Rajoelina, a new transitional government would soon be appointed under his leadership and a new presidential election would be held within two years. Speaking on the same day, Ravalomanana stated that he was "still the president of this country" and that he would "do what is necessary to develop this nation".
The African Union
(AU) immediately warned Rajoelina that it would not accept an unconstitutional power grab in Madagascar: "It's totally forbidden to take power by non-constitutional means."
Opposition leaders allied to Rajoelina filed a petition with the High Constitutional Court on February 2, asking it to remove Ravalomanana from office. By that point, attendance at Rajoelina's rallies had reportedly decreased. On 3 February, Rajoelina said at a rally that he would announce his new government on 7 February. On the same day, the High Constitutional Court ruled that it had no power to remove the President from office, as that power belonged to Parliament. Also on 3 February, Rajoelina was dismissed as Mayor and a special delegation, headed by Guy Randrianarisoa, was appointed instead. Rajoelina denounced the decision, saying that there was "no valid reason" for it and that he was prepared to face arrest if necessary; he warned that the city would "not accept this decision".
Rajoelina held another rally on February 4, with about 1,500 people in attendance. On that occasion he described the appointment of Randrianarisoa as "an insult to the people of Madagascar"; he instead designated Michele Ratsivalaka to succeed him as Mayor and gave her his mayoral scarf.
and crossed the "ligne rouge" (red line), the perimeter line around the palace gates that demarcates the zone off-limits to the public. The palace guards responded by firing live ammunition to disperse the crowd. Initial reports counted 83 wounded and 28 people killed, including a local reporter. Some looting was reported afterward. Ambulances took the wounded to hospitals or private clinics, and bodies were seen piled up on the streets before they were taken to the morgue. The National Police warned that the death toll could rise, as many of the wounded were in critical condition. The following day it was reported that the death toll had increased to at least 50, with doctors estimating that 180 people had arrived at the city's main Ravoahangy Andrianavalona Hospital. Antananarivo journalist Fanja Saholiarisoa said: "The mortuary is full and the hospital is full. On TV there is a special announcement calling on people who have cars to come and pick up the injured people from the hospitals". This brought the number of people killed since the start of the political violence to 130, with 80 people killed before the shooting of the demonstrators, including the people who died in the burned department store.
Also on 7 February, Rajoelina said that Roindefo Monja would be Prime Minister under his transitional authority. According to Rajoelina, each of Madagascar's regions would have representation in the transitional authority. Regarding Ambohitsorohitra Palace, Rajoelina alluded to its history as a mayoral residence prior to 2002 and said that it "belongs to the people and to the city", while declaring that he had decided to give the palace to Monja for his use as Prime Minister. On the same day, Ravalomanana urged "calm and order", accusing Rajoelina of "cross[ing] all limits", while Prime Minister Charles Rabemananjara
announced a one-week extension of the curfew.
While visiting hospitalized victims of the shooting on 8 February, Rajoelina vowed to continue his struggle and argued that Ravalomanana's answer to the popular call for change was gunfire. He called for a national day of mourning on 9 February.
On 9 February, Defence Minister Cécile Manorohanta
announced her resignation, saying, "After all that has happened, I decide as of now to no longer remain part of this government." Chief of military staff Mamy Ranaivoniarivo
was appointed to replace Manorohanta on the same day.
The 7 February shooting was thought to have reversed the opposition's declining momentum. Newspapers published on 9 February, strongly denounced the shooting. On 10 February, speaking before a rally of about 5,000 supporters, Rajoelina urged the people to observe a general strike on the next day; he asked that everyone stay indoors and that no one go to work or attend school. Roindefo announced the appointment of four ministers to serve in his transitional government, and he said that the remainder of them would be appointed by the end of the week. Meanwhile, both Ravalomanana and Rajoelina accepted dialogue in principle; Rajoelina said that dialogue would be conditional on the holding of a new presidential election or the formation of a transitional government.
At a 35,000-strong rally in Antananarivo on 14 February, Ravalomanana said that he would serve out his full term as President, that he was listening to the people, and that he regretted the deaths that had occurred during the protests. On the same day, Rajoelina held a rally nearby, with about 10,000 in attendance.
At a rally on 17 February, Rajoelina vowed to continue the struggle, and later in the day several thousand of his supporters engaged in sit-in
s near key ministries. Representing the government, Defense Minister Ranaivoniarivo invited Roindefo to participate in talks. Rajoelina's supporters took over several important ministries on 19 February, changing the locks and installing Rajoelina's own ministers to work in them. Meanwhile, Ravalomanana appointed a new Minister of the Interior, Rabenja Sehenoarisoa (who had previously served as chief of police in the capital). His predecessor as Interior Minister, Gervais Rakotonirina, was said to have departed the government due to poor health. Only hours after the opposition took over the government ministries, they were removed from the ministries by security forces early on February 20; about 50 of Rajoelina's supporters were arrested.
Ravalomanana and Rajoelina met on 21 February; this meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, was organized by the Council of Christian Churches in Madagascar. Both Ravalomanana and Rajoelina agreed to five points intended to calm the situation. This was intended as a prelude to more comprehensive dialogue. On 23 February the two met again for about an hour, and they held a third meeting, also lasting an hour, on 24 February. However, Ravalomanana failed to appear for a planned meeting on February 25, and Rajoelina then announced that he was withdrawing from the talks. Rajoelina criticized Ravalomanana for his absence and furthermore stated that the meetings he had held with Ravalomanana prior to that were disappointing. Odon Razanakolona, who had been mediating the talks, abandoned his role shortly before Rajoelina withdrew from the talks; according to Razanakolona, the talks were fruitless and deadlocked.
on February 27, was also broken up; two deaths and 13 serious injuries were reported in the latter incident. At a 10,000-strong rally in Antananarivo on 28 February, Rajoelina vowed to continue his struggle "until we end this dictatorship". He said that, beginning on 2 March, protests would be held in 13 May Plaza on a daily basis; he also called for the army to support him.
A protest in Ambositra
was broken up by police on 4 March, and two people were killed. Also on 4 March, President Ravalomanana declared his intention to "restore order" on Radio Mada. In Antananarivo, police blocked roads on 5 March to prevent protests in 13 May Plaza.
The security forces unsuccessfully attempted to arrest Rajoelina at his compound late on 5 March; they also raided his Viva media network. Initially they surrounded Viva, and after 30 minutes the staff attempted to evacuate equipment, at which point the security forces stormed the building and confiscated equipment. Rajoelina told Agence France-Presse
on 7 March that he was "now hiding in a safe location where I cannot be attacked"; it was later acknowledged that he had gone to the residence of the French ambassador on 6 March.
said on 9 March that the UN was placing Rajoelina "under its protection in a diplomatic residence". The French Foreign Ministry said on 10 March that Rajoelina had left the French ambassador's residence.
On 10 March, the chief of staff of the Malagasy army, General Edmond Rasolomahandry, gave political leaders 72 hours to solve the country's problems and return peace, threatening to take over if this did not occur. The same day, Defence Minister Ranaivoniarivo announced his resignation shortly after a number of army officers visited his office to threaten a switch of allegiances to Rajoelina. On 11 March, pro-opposition soldiers from the CAPSAT (Army Corps of Personnel and Administrative and Technical Services) stormed the army headquarters and forced Edmond Rasolomahandry to resign. Analysts stated that civil war seemed a distinct possibility. Andre Andriarijaona replaced Rasolomahandry, apparently as a result of internal army deliberations and not a presidential appointment, and Andriarijaona said that the military would remain neutral and not seize power, thus revoking the 72-hour ultimatum. A spokesman for Rajoelina said on 11 March that Rajoelina would not participate in talks planned to begin the next day; subsequently the Christian Council of Churches announced that the talks would be delayed.
On 12 March, the opposition took over the Ministry of Finance and Budget with the support of the armed forces while the president's prime minister held a ten-minute meeting with the opposition-designated prime minister, who later stated that Rabemananjara had agreed to give up his job to him. The next day, the chief of the military police stated he was taking orders from Andre Andriarijaona and not from the general appointed by Ravalomanana; this was followed by the sending of army tanks against the Iavoloha Palace
of the president, while some 3,000–5,000 civilian supporters of Ravalomanana surrounded the palace to counter opposition protests further away from the area. The Ravalomanana supporters, however, were told to clear the road in case the army neared the area.
On 14 March, Monja occupied the prime minister's office while the opposition forces controlled the building. Monja announced that the opposition forces, called the High Authority of Transition, "is presiding over the destiny of Madagascar". Rajoelina gave the president four hours, until 6 p.m. (0300 GMT), to voluntarily resign, after which a mass civilian march would take place on the presidential palace to put Ravalomanana out of office; he explicitly ruled out a violent overthrow through military means. However, Ravalomanana later emerged from the guarded palace after the deadline had passed, asserting that he was still the legal president and calling for a national conference.
On 15 March, Ravalomanana offered to hold a referendum on whether he should stay in power or not, which was seen as a sign of under how much pressure he was. The following day, Rajoelina rejected this proposal and called on the security forces to arrest Ravalomanana.
, was stormed and taken by soldiers of the Malagasy Army. Reports also indicate the capture of the country's central bank
. The president was not in the stormed palace at the time. The African Union
condemned the action, calling it an "attempted coup d'etat
". The actions followed an earlier call from opposition leader Andry Rajoelina for the President's arrest; Rajoelina insisted that the palace seizure was not a coup, although he immediately installed himself in the presidential offices of the captured palace.
Hours later, the BBC stated that Ravalomanana was to resign and hand over the powers of both the president and prime minister to a military board headed by Vice Admiral Hyppolite Ramaroson. Ravalomanana later said, "I never resigned. I was forced to hand power over, at gun point, on March the 17th." At the time, Ravalomanana had already moved out of the Iavoloha Palace to an undisclosed location; as of 24 March, he was reportedly in Swaziland
. The military junta, consisting of senior military personnel, would have been charged with organizing elections within 24 months and re-writing the constitution for the "Fourth Republic". However, Vice Admiral Ramaroson announced on 18 March that it would transfer power directly to Rajoelina, making him president of the opposition-dominated High Transitional Authority that he had appointed weeks earlier. With the military's backing, the authority was charged with taking up the task previously accorded to Ravalomanana's proposed military directorate. Madagascar's constitutional court deemed the transfer of power, from Ravalomanana to the military board and then to Rajoelina, to be legal. The court's statement did not include any justifications for its decision.
Rajoelina said that Ravalomanana should be prosecuted for allegedly using lethal force against unarmed opposition demonstrators earlier in the year. Rajoelina is prohibiting Ravalomanana's ministers from leaving the country.
On 19 March, Rajoelina suspended both chambers of Parliament
. Roindefo responded to international criticism on 20 March, saying that the government will "explain the real situation. Maybe the way Madagascar acts is not very clear. Things can be a bit specific which may be difficult to follow in every detail." According to Roindefo, the transfer of power was not a coup d'état but instead "the direct expression of democracy, when representative democracy does not express itself through the institutions". Rajoelina was officially sworn in as President on 21 March before a crowd of 40,000 supporters. No foreign diplomats were in attendance; Rajoelina's foreign minister said none were invited.
and that they should face trials in accordance with military law. The navy troops called for other nations not to get involved in what they considered a purely domestic affair.
In a recorded message from Ravalomanana played to around 10,000 of supporters on 25 March, Ravalomanana encouraged people to "save the nation, defend the union and our national unity" because Rajoelina's government was "destroying our country with their coup."
Also on 25 March, Rajoelina invited Ravalomanana's political party to join other political parties, unions, and business leaders to discuss reconciliation on 2 and 3 April. Rajoelina said the meeting would also include planning for the next elections. Rajoelina said he would appoint the members of the group who would organize the meeting. Ravalomanana's political party, Tiako I Madagasikara
(TIM), did not immediately comment on whether it would participate in those meetings.
On 26 March, Rajoelina's justice minister said that Rajoelina had given a presidential pardon
to 28 "political prisoner
s" and that more would be pardoned in the future. Members of TIM spoke to the crowd. The names of the pardoned individuals were not made public.
About 6,000 people who supported Ravalomanana assembled in a park in downtown Antananarivo on 26 March, the fourth consecutive of such protests. Members of TIM spoke to the crowd. Referring to the reconciliation meeting proposed by Rajoelina, the speakers said that Ravalomanana would be involved only if he were recognized at the meeting as Madagascar's elected president and only if the United Nations, Southern African Development Community, or other another neutral, international body organized the meeting. The speakers urged Ravalomanana to leave Swaziland, return to Madagascar, and call the bicameral parliament back in session. One speaker said that elections should only be held after Ravalomanana was reinstated as president. Following the speeches, security forces fired tear gas and shot bullets into the air to disperse the crowd.
The following day, about 6,000 people who supported Ravalomanana assembled again, the fifth such demonstration in five consecutive days. Police used tear gas on the assembled individuals at the end of the event, as they did at the end of the previous day's demonstration.
On 28 March, between 15,000 and 20,000 protesters assembled for the sixth consecutive day. In a recorded message played to the assembled crowd, Ravalomanana encouraged his supporters to continue protesting and gave assurance that he would return to Madagascar soon. While marching towards the May 13 Plaza, the same location that Rajoelina's supporters had assembled earlier in the year, police fired their weapons into the air and used tear gas to disperse the crowds, resulting in a stampede that injured 34 people. A young protester named "Razily", who was seen in a video of the 28 March protests carrying the Malagasy flag at the head of the protests before being publicly beaten and carted off by police, became a cause célèbre
when the video was distributed online; he has not been seen since his arrest. Police said they were trying to keep Ravalomanana's supporters from confronting Rajoelina's supporters. In response to the police actions, Ravalomanana's supporters encouraged a general strike on 30 March, saying, "Students should not go to school, office workers should stop their work and the private sector should stop paying taxes so as not to support an illegal regime." Protests continued nearly every day thereafter.
On 31 March, Rajoelina announced the individuals who would constitute the cabinet
of his transitional administration for 24 months until elections are held. Rajoelina compared himself to Ravalomana, saying that Ravalomanana was not immediately accepted by world leaders when he came to power in 2002. Rajoelina reiterated his previous statements that other countries should not "interfere" with his rise to the presidency of Madagascar. Rajoelina also announced a freeze of all mining contracts with foreign companies, saying that the foreign companies are not paying the fees and royalties that are legally due to Madagascar.
Still asserting that he was the legitimate president, Ravalomanana announced from exile that he was appointing Manandafy Rakotonirina
as Prime Minister on 16 April. Ravalomanana made this announcement by telephone at a rally of his supporters in Antananarivo, with Rakotonirina in attendance.
On 20 April, people gathered in Antananarivo to listen to Ravalomanana speak by telephone and protest the closure of two radio stations, Radio Fahazavana and Radio Mada, the latter of which is owned by Ravalomanana. When the protesters began marching to a courthouse in the center of the city, police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and then fired their guns. A BBC
reporter witnessed a protester killed after being shot in the back at close range. Another protester was also killed and twenty people went to the hospital for injuries sustained during the protests. The following day, thousands of people assembled to mourn the two deaths. Prime Minister Roindefo Monja announced that "all demonstrations are banned, including those in support of Andry Rajoelina, in order to restore law and order." Despite the ban, a demonstration was held the following day. Over a thousand people assembled to protest, fewer in number and shorter in duration as compared in previous days.
Cars and trucks were set on fire and people were looting in Antananarivo on 23 April. Police used tear gas, detonators, and gun fire to break up protests. Six protesters were arrested.
After Ravalomanana appointed him as Prime Minister, Rakotonirina began working out of the Carlton hotel in Antananarivo, and he appointed ministers to occupy the key government portfolios on 28 April. Soldiers with a warrant for Rakotonirina's arrest stormed the Carlton and arrested him on 29 April; they found him hiding in a bathroom after searching for about an hour. A spokesperson for Rajoelina described Rakotonirina as "the mastermind of last week's violence". Also in late April, Rajoelina's government informed the AU that it was prepared to hold an election by the end of 2009, earlier than it had previously stated.
in October 2010.
On 11 April, Ravalomanana's supporters ended their participation in meetings with Rajoelina's supporters. Ravalomanana's supporters saying that the meetings were not worthwhile because their condition of the Ravalomanana's return to power was not met, nor was the United Nations' special envoy to Madagascar, Tiébilé Dramé
, acting as an impartial mediator. In response, Dramé said he was "seeking a consensus" rather than an "imposed solution". On the same day, more than 10,000 people assembled in Antananarivo to protest Rajoelina's government.
At a meeting on 23 May 2009 a breakthrough was reached; a transitional government and a truth and reconciliation commission
was agreed to be formed, and all former presidents would be allowed to stand in the presidential elections; this last point was seen as controversial, as it might increase instability. However, on 25 May 2009 the party of Didier Ratsiraka
withdrew from the talks.
, President of the High Authority of Transition of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina
, former exiled Madagascar president Didier Ratsiraka
and former president of the Malagasy Republic Albert Zafy
are meeting beginning Tuesday August 4, 2009 in Maputo, Mozambican capital, for four day long mediation crisis talks with the former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano
acting as mediator. Representatives from the African Union
(AU), United Nations
(UN), the International Organisation of the Francophonie and the Southern African Development Community
(SADC). The mediation talks hope to arrive at a way for Ravalomanana to return to Madagascar from his exile in South Africa. The talks are also a trade meeting to begin negotiations on the transition charter to seek new elections in Madagascar. Ratsiraka who has been exiled in France has seen his amnesty issue resolved at the talks. The four leaders seek to again become a customs union (SADC), and representatives of the United Nations.
, aide to former President Zafy. Prime Minister Eugene Mangalaza
who was appointed on October 10 will be retained heading the 31-member cabinet. The deal also creates a 65-member council of transitional advisers and a transitional parliament composed of 258 members.
and other conservation areas in Madagascar. While the new Malagasy government is otherwise preoccupied and some park rangers have left their posts, armed groups are cutting down valuable rosewood
trees. Laws prohibiting the export of rosewood were repealed in January 2009, so the illegally acquired logs can be sold and exported for profit. Thousands of local people have been involved in cutting a documented 123,000 rosewood logs representing an estimated 45,000 rosewood trees from Marojejy, Masoala and Makira National Parks between January–October 2009, with at least 871 containers already exported to China between March–April 2009 alone from the Vohemar and Toamasina ports. Floating the rosewood logs down rivers also requires cutting of 4-5 lighter trees, and several rosewood
species are endangered or occur at low densities below 1-5 trees per hectare. Numerous new access paths are created and some individuals built a 6-kilometer-long road into a remote northern park to transport the logs. Some ships land directly on the coast to pick up the logs, rather than at government-controlled ports. Bribery of customs officials has been reported. Radio commercials have been aired seeking workers to help in the process. Extracting resources from these conservation areas is likely to threaten already critically endangered
species such as the silky sifaka
lemur
, one of the top 25 most endangered primate
s in the world. A statement jointly released by several non-governmental organizations criticized the logging and hunting occurring in national parks, illegal mining, and slash-and-burn farming occurring in Madagascar. The joint statement said that "These deplorable acts will only further impoverish the country and deprive future generations of the Malagasy people from their unique natural heritage." The groups who issued the statement were World Wide Fund for Nature
, Conservation International
, Wildlife Conservation Society
, Missouri Botanical Garden
, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
, Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environment, The Peregrine Fund
, ONG Fanamby, Madagascar Fauna Group
, L'Homme et l'Environnement, and Plant Resources for Tropical Africa.
n company Daewoo
. Under the contract, Daewoo would have leased 1300000 hectares (13,000 km²) of land, almost half of Madagascar's arable land, for 99 years to grow corn and palm oil for export to South Korea, a project that may have created as many as 45,000 jobs. On 10 April, Madagascar's Minister of Land Reform confirmed that the contract with Daewoo had been canceled because its "approach was wrong", even though "the project by itself wasn't bad and such a project is welcome". As of 10 April, Daewoo said it had not been informed of the contract's cancellation and would proceed with the project regardless.
On 17 March, Canadian energy company Sherritt International
said its 27-year $4.5-billion nickel-mining project would still begin in 2010 and reach full production in 2013, as scheduled. On 19 March, it said it was likely the project's start date would be delayed.
canceled a match between Madagascar's Academie Ny Antsika
and Réunion
's Union Sportive Stade Tamponnaise
, which was set to be played in Antananarivo.
Lawrence Cannon
said that Madagascar's recent political actions are illegal and "anti-democratic". Canada supports a peaceful and democratic resolution with help from the international community.'s Foreign Minister
Karel Schwarzenberg
called the removal of Ravalomanana a "coup d'etat".'s President Nicolas Sarkozy
urged Madagascar to hold elections "as soon as possible" to end the "coup d'etat". Sarkozy criticized the decision to dismiss Madagascar's parliament. Asserting that Ravalomanana should be kept safe, Sarkozy offered that "if he needs to be put on trial, he should be." condemned the violent transfer of power, urging democracy to return immediately. Germany said that street protests are not a democratic method of changing the government.'s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
issued a statement expressing "concern" that the governmental transition is "inconsistent with the ordinary constitutional procedures amid the political turmoil that has involved civilians". Japan "strongly expects" that democracy and constitutional order returns "at the earliest opportunity". Japan also urges that peace and the safety of civilians be upheld.'s president Muammar al-Gaddafi
telephoned Rajoelina immediately after Rajoelina took power to say that Libya would recognize Rajoelina's government.'s ambassador to the United Nations, Claude Heller
, said that it was "very clear that there was an unconstitutional coup" and said that elections were the only way to move Madagascar forward.'s Foreign Minister
Ojo Maduekwe
said that Nigeria urges "a restoration of constitutional order", calling the opposition forces "illegal and unconstitutional" and their actions "unacceptable".'s Minister of the Environment and International Development
Erik Solheim
said that "there is an urgent need for a democratic solution to the current situation in Madagascar. The country is moving towards an economic disaster. I am deeply concerned about the people of the country".'s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov
stated that Russia is "concerned by the increased frequency of attempts on the African continent to resort to non-constitutional methods of solving internal political problems." He went on to say that, in addition to increasing economic and social problems, the use of force is of concern and runs counter to democratic principles, whilst affirming Russia's support of the African Union's position.n Minister of Foreign Affairs
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
said that South Africa would support "pressure", possibly including sanctions, and the "non-recognition" of Rajoelina's government by the Southern African Development Community.'s King Mswati
said that Rajoelina's rise to power was unconstitutional and "violates basic principles, protocols and treaties". The United Kingdom
's Foreign Office Minister
Mark Malloch Brown
said he "condemn[s] unreservedly the unconstitutional, undemocratic and apparently coerced transfer of power from President Ravalomanana to Andry Rajoelina. These events are tantamount to a coup d'état." He urges a peaceful, constitutional, and democratic resolution. State Department
spokesman Robert Wood said "The United States is deeply concerned by the recent political violence in Madagascar". He advised the Malagasy people to use restraint and sort out differences by process of dialogue. Wood later confirmed that the State Department believes that "recent political developments in Madagascar constitute an undemocratic transfer of power". On 20 March, Wood said that the United States "condemns the process" of Ravalomanana's removal and Rajoelina's takeover, calling it "undemocratic and contrary to the rule of law". United States Ambassador to Madagascar
R. Niels Marquardt
described a "climate of insecurity" in Madagascar. Marquardt said that Madagascar would be likely be deemed ineligible for the trade preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act
if it did not hold elections by the end of 2009.'s Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande
called Andry Rajoelina's coming to power in Madagascar "a setback and danger to the entrenchment of democracy and constitutional rule on the continent which should not be allowed to take root. " Zambia has also led the call for economic sanctions against Madagascar and suspension of the country from the SADC
and AU.
The European Commission
issued a statement that it was "seriously concerned about the situation of instability and uncertainty currently prevailing in Madagascar. The European Commission calls on all parties in Madagascar to ensure calm and invites them to participate immediately in a broader dialogue."
has instituted sanctions, mostly consisting of a freeze of economic aid, primarily due to the unstable atmosphere in the country prior to the resignation of Ravalomanana, and it has retained such sanctions for the time being.
On 20 March, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the United States will suspend all non-humanitarian assistance to Madagascar.
The African Union suspended Madagascar's membership in the organization. The Peace and Security Council
of the African Union announced that it would impose sanctions on the Madagascar government if an "unconstitutional" transfer of power were to take place, including total expulsion from the African Union. The African Union can enact sanctions if Madagascar does not restore constitutional order within six months.
The African Union's stance was corroborated by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg
, who stated that the European Union may impose sanctions on Madagascar and not recognize the transfer of power, and the United States Department of State, which indicated a similar response to any "extra-constitutional" regime change. The Southern African Development Community will meet in late March to consider sanctions.
On 31 March, the European Union
said it had not suspended its aid to Madagascar, which will continue for the next three years as previously agreed, but it also had no plans for new aid.
US President Barack Obama decided to remove Madagascar from the beneficiary of the AGOA African Growth and Opportunity Act
. On December 23 of the year 2009, President Obama officially also terminated the program for Guinea and Niger along with Madagascar all for undemocratic change of power. The AGOA program has helped created ten of thousands of jobs for middle class Malagasy especially in apparel manufacturing factories, it is feared that most of these jobs will be lost in the near future. Considering the important number of business affected by this decision, the economy of the capital city Antananarivo and Antsirabe
will be deeply affected fearing further social tension.
, who denied that the events leading to Rajoelina's gaining of the presidency was a coup, but rather a "direct expression of democracy, when representative democracy does not express itself through the institutions", and called on the European Union to reconsider its reaction to the events. Rajoelina dismissed the condemnations, stating that "if they haven't understood the process, they may well react. But if they stick to their line after we have spoken, it will be annoying".
Rajoelina has promised that the high cost of living would decrease because merchants had agreed to decrease the price of bread and cooking oil as of 30 March, and the cost of rice soon thereafter.
In response to the Southern African Development Community
's view that Rajoelina's rise to power was unconstitutional and its urging for elections within six months, Rajoelina said that membership in the SADC is "not in the interests of Madagascar". He said he would confer with others to decide whether Madagascar would continue to be a member of the SADC. "The prospect of an SADC intervention is unacceptable. Other states cannot interfere with the decision of (Madagascar's) High Constitutional Court" that the transfer of power to Rajoelina was constitutional.
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
in early 2009, culminating in military involvement and the accession of opposition leader Andry Rajoelina
Andry Rajoelina
Andry Nirina Rajoelina , born May 30 1974, is the former mayor of Antananarivo who became transitional head of state of Madagascar on March 21, 2009 after the 2009 Malagasy political crisis....
to the Presidency. The protests began in January 2009 and were aimed at the government of President Marc Ravalomanana
Marc Ravalomanana
Marc Ravalomanana is a Malagasy politician who was the President of Madagascar from 2002 to 2009. A member of the Merina ethnic group, Ravalomanana served as Mayor of Antananarivo before becoming President in 2002...
. The protests, which turned violent, were organized and spearheaded by Rajoelina, who was the mayor of the capital city of Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
and a prominent opponent of President Ravalomanana. At least 130 people were killed in Madagascar during the crisis.
The protests were seen as the gravest challenge faced by the Ravalomanana government since he came to office in 2002. President Ravalomanana vowed to restore order "whatever the cost", according to a government statement, while opposition leader Rajoelina called for the dissolution of the government and the formation of a transitional government under his leadership.
On 16 March 2009, one of the palaces of President Ravalomanana, the Ambohitsorohitra Palace
Ambohitsorohitra Palace
The Ambohitsorohitra Palace is a presidential palace in the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo. It has only a symbolic role and is not a residence of the president.-Political events:...
, was stormed and taken by soldiers of the Malagasy Army. The president was not in the stormed palace at the time. The African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
condemned the action, calling it an "attempted coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
". Rajoelina insisted that the palace seizure was not a coup, although he immediately installed himself in the presidential offices of the captured palace.
Ravalomanana had already moved out of the Iavoloha palace to an undisclosed location. The military junta, consisting of senior military personnel, would have been charged with organizing elections within 24 months and re-writing the constitution for the "Fourth Republic". However, Vice Admiral Ramaroson announced on 18 March that it would transfer power directly to Rajoelina, making him president of the opposition-dominated High Transitional Authority that he had appointed weeks earlier. Madagascar's constitutional court deemed the transfer of power, from Ravalomanana to the military board and then to Rajoelina, to be legal.
According to Rajoelina's Prime Minister Monja Roindefo
Monja Roindefo
Monja Roindefo Zafitsimivalo is a Malagasy politician who was Prime Minister of Madagascar from March 2009 to October 2009. He was appointed on 7 February 2009 by opposition leader Andry Rajoelina at the head of Rajoelina's rival government; later, on 17 March, Rajoelina was installed in power by...
, the transfer of power was not a coup d'état but instead "the direct expression of democracy, when representative democracy does not express itself through the institutions". Rajoelina was officially sworn in on 21 March before a crowd of 40,000 supporters.
On the same day, Malagasy navy troops called for Rajoelina's resignation by 25 March 2009, threatening to use force otherwise to protect the constitution of Madagascar.
Background
Andry Rajoelina has been a vocal opponent of the Ravalomanana government since he was elected Mayor of AntananarivoMayor of Antananarivo
The Mayor of Antananarivo is the Mayor of the capital and largest city in Madagascar, Antananarivo.The post of mayor of Antananarivo is considered to be one of the most prominent and influential offices in Madagascar...
in December 2007.
The relationship between Rajoelina and the Malagasy government further deteriorated on December 13, 2008, after the government shut down a television station owned by Rajoelina. Rajoelina's television station was shuttered for airing an interview with exiled former President Didier Ratsiraka
Didier Ratsiraka
Vice Admiral Didier Ratsiraka is a Malagasy politician who was President of Madagascar from 1975 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2002.-Second Republic:...
.
Protests
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, against Ravalomanana, whom he has called a dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
. Ravalomanana, who was in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, cut short his trip to a regional summit
Summit (meeting)
A summit meeting is a meeting of heads of state or government, usually with considerable media exposure, tight security and a prearranged agenda.Notable summit meetings include those of Franklin D...
in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, and flew back to Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. In a statement Ravalomanana accused the mayor of attempting a coup saying, "The call for revolt and civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
... corresponds to a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
...tramples on the values of the constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
and the republic's institutions."
On Monday, January 26, 2009, the protests turned increasingly violent. Demonstrators set fire to the Madagascar state-owned radio building, attacked a private television station owned by Ravalomanana and looted shops and businesses throughout the city.
At 3 a.m. on January 26, 2009, armed government security agents reportedly disabled the transmitter of Viva Radio, a private radio station owned by Rajoelina.
Protesters ransacked two pro-government television stations in Antananarivo. Thousands of protesters raided and looted the headquarters of the Radio Nationale Malgache and Télévision Nationale Malgache building around 1 p.m. local time on January 26, 2009. About an hour later demonstrators burned down the Malagasy Broadcasting System, a private station owned by President Ravalomanana. A policeman and a 14-year old protester were reportedly killed in the clashes at the Malagasy Broadcasting System attacks.
Firefighters found the bodies of at least 25 people in the ruins of a burned out, looted department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
in downtown Antananarivo. The bodies were thought to be those of looters who became trapped in the burning shop when the roof caved in. In total, 44 people died. Their bodies were taken to a morgue, and all but ten of them were found to be severely burned.
In a show of defiance against the government, Rajoelina called for all Antananarivo residents to stay home on 29 January 2009. This "ghost town" (ville morte) protest basically closed all stores and businesses in the capital city.
The Roman Catholic Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of Antananarivo Armand Razafindratandra appealed for calm as the protests spread outside of the capital. All state and private radio stations in the country reportedly ceased broadcasting, with the exception of Radio Don Bosco, which is run by the Salesian
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco in an attempt, through works of charity, to care for the young and poor children of the industrial revolution...
religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
.
Rajoelina said on 31 January that he was taking control of the country due to the failure of Ravalomanana and the government to fulfill their responsibilities. He said that a request for Ravalomanana's "immediate resignation" would be submitted to Parliament
Parliament of Madagascar
The Parliament of Madagascar has two chambers.*the National Assembly has 160 members, elected for a four year term in single-member and two-member constituencies...
"in order to comply with the legal procedure". Furthermore, he asked that the central bank
Central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
withhold money from the government, that all government ministries close, and that the security forces join him. Rajoelina said that he wanted the constitution to be respected and that it was Ravalomanana who had violated the constitution. According to Rajoelina, a new transitional government would soon be appointed under his leadership and a new presidential election would be held within two years. Speaking on the same day, Ravalomanana stated that he was "still the president of this country" and that he would "do what is necessary to develop this nation".
The African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
(AU) immediately warned Rajoelina that it would not accept an unconstitutional power grab in Madagascar: "It's totally forbidden to take power by non-constitutional means."
Opposition leaders allied to Rajoelina filed a petition with the High Constitutional Court on February 2, asking it to remove Ravalomanana from office. By that point, attendance at Rajoelina's rallies had reportedly decreased. On 3 February, Rajoelina said at a rally that he would announce his new government on 7 February. On the same day, the High Constitutional Court ruled that it had no power to remove the President from office, as that power belonged to Parliament. Also on 3 February, Rajoelina was dismissed as Mayor and a special delegation, headed by Guy Randrianarisoa, was appointed instead. Rajoelina denounced the decision, saying that there was "no valid reason" for it and that he was prepared to face arrest if necessary; he warned that the city would "not accept this decision".
Rajoelina held another rally on February 4, with about 1,500 people in attendance. On that occasion he described the appointment of Randrianarisoa as "an insult to the people of Madagascar"; he instead designated Michele Ratsivalaka to succeed him as Mayor and gave her his mayoral scarf.
Shooting at opposition rally
On 7 February, an opposition rally was held with twenty-thousand in attendance. The demonstrators marched towards Ambohitsorohitra PalaceAmbohitsorohitra Palace
The Ambohitsorohitra Palace is a presidential palace in the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo. It has only a symbolic role and is not a residence of the president.-Political events:...
and crossed the "ligne rouge" (red line), the perimeter line around the palace gates that demarcates the zone off-limits to the public. The palace guards responded by firing live ammunition to disperse the crowd. Initial reports counted 83 wounded and 28 people killed, including a local reporter. Some looting was reported afterward. Ambulances took the wounded to hospitals or private clinics, and bodies were seen piled up on the streets before they were taken to the morgue. The National Police warned that the death toll could rise, as many of the wounded were in critical condition. The following day it was reported that the death toll had increased to at least 50, with doctors estimating that 180 people had arrived at the city's main Ravoahangy Andrianavalona Hospital. Antananarivo journalist Fanja Saholiarisoa said: "The mortuary is full and the hospital is full. On TV there is a special announcement calling on people who have cars to come and pick up the injured people from the hospitals". This brought the number of people killed since the start of the political violence to 130, with 80 people killed before the shooting of the demonstrators, including the people who died in the burned department store.
Also on 7 February, Rajoelina said that Roindefo Monja would be Prime Minister under his transitional authority. According to Rajoelina, each of Madagascar's regions would have representation in the transitional authority. Regarding Ambohitsorohitra Palace, Rajoelina alluded to its history as a mayoral residence prior to 2002 and said that it "belongs to the people and to the city", while declaring that he had decided to give the palace to Monja for his use as Prime Minister. On the same day, Ravalomanana urged "calm and order", accusing Rajoelina of "cross[ing] all limits", while Prime Minister Charles Rabemananjara
Charles Rabemananjara
Charles Rabemananjara is a former Prime Minister of Madagascar. He took office on 20 January 2007 at the beginning of the second term of President Marc Ravalomanana...
announced a one-week extension of the curfew.
While visiting hospitalized victims of the shooting on 8 February, Rajoelina vowed to continue his struggle and argued that Ravalomanana's answer to the popular call for change was gunfire. He called for a national day of mourning on 9 February.
On 9 February, Defence Minister Cécile Manorohanta
Cécile Manorohanta
Cécile Manorohanta is a Malagasy politician, currently serving in the government of Madagascar as Deputy Prime Minister for the Interior. Previously she was Minister of Defense from 2007 to 2009....
announced her resignation, saying, "After all that has happened, I decide as of now to no longer remain part of this government." Chief of military staff Mamy Ranaivoniarivo
Mamy Ranaivoniarivo
Vice-Admiral Mamy Ranaivoniarivo was briefly the Defence Minister of Madagascar in early 2009...
was appointed to replace Manorohanta on the same day.
The 7 February shooting was thought to have reversed the opposition's declining momentum. Newspapers published on 9 February, strongly denounced the shooting. On 10 February, speaking before a rally of about 5,000 supporters, Rajoelina urged the people to observe a general strike on the next day; he asked that everyone stay indoors and that no one go to work or attend school. Roindefo announced the appointment of four ministers to serve in his transitional government, and he said that the remainder of them would be appointed by the end of the week. Meanwhile, both Ravalomanana and Rajoelina accepted dialogue in principle; Rajoelina said that dialogue would be conditional on the holding of a new presidential election or the formation of a transitional government.
At a 35,000-strong rally in Antananarivo on 14 February, Ravalomanana said that he would serve out his full term as President, that he was listening to the people, and that he regretted the deaths that had occurred during the protests. On the same day, Rajoelina held a rally nearby, with about 10,000 in attendance.
At a rally on 17 February, Rajoelina vowed to continue the struggle, and later in the day several thousand of his supporters engaged in sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
s near key ministries. Representing the government, Defense Minister Ranaivoniarivo invited Roindefo to participate in talks. Rajoelina's supporters took over several important ministries on 19 February, changing the locks and installing Rajoelina's own ministers to work in them. Meanwhile, Ravalomanana appointed a new Minister of the Interior, Rabenja Sehenoarisoa (who had previously served as chief of police in the capital). His predecessor as Interior Minister, Gervais Rakotonirina, was said to have departed the government due to poor health. Only hours after the opposition took over the government ministries, they were removed from the ministries by security forces early on February 20; about 50 of Rajoelina's supporters were arrested.
Ravalomanana and Rajoelina met on 21 February; this meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, was organized by the Council of Christian Churches in Madagascar. Both Ravalomanana and Rajoelina agreed to five points intended to calm the situation. This was intended as a prelude to more comprehensive dialogue. On 23 February the two met again for about an hour, and they held a third meeting, also lasting an hour, on 24 February. However, Ravalomanana failed to appear for a planned meeting on February 25, and Rajoelina then announced that he was withdrawing from the talks. Rajoelina criticized Ravalomanana for his absence and furthermore stated that the meetings he had held with Ravalomanana prior to that were disappointing. Odon Razanakolona, who had been mediating the talks, abandoned his role shortly before Rajoelina withdrew from the talks; according to Razanakolona, the talks were fruitless and deadlocked.
Post-talks
A protest in Antananarivo was broken up by the security forces on 26 February. Another protest in FianarantsoaFianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa is a city in south central Madagascar.Fianarantsoa is the capital of Haute Matsiatra Region. It was built in the early 19th century by the Merina as the administrative capital for the newly conquered Betsileo kingdoms....
on February 27, was also broken up; two deaths and 13 serious injuries were reported in the latter incident. At a 10,000-strong rally in Antananarivo on 28 February, Rajoelina vowed to continue his struggle "until we end this dictatorship". He said that, beginning on 2 March, protests would be held in 13 May Plaza on a daily basis; he also called for the army to support him.
A protest in Ambositra
Ambositra
Ambositra is a city in central Madagascar.Ambositra is the capital of the Amoron'i Mania region, and of Ambositra District....
was broken up by police on 4 March, and two people were killed. Also on 4 March, President Ravalomanana declared his intention to "restore order" on Radio Mada. In Antananarivo, police blocked roads on 5 March to prevent protests in 13 May Plaza.
The security forces unsuccessfully attempted to arrest Rajoelina at his compound late on 5 March; they also raided his Viva media network. Initially they surrounded Viva, and after 30 minutes the staff attempted to evacuate equipment, at which point the security forces stormed the building and confiscated equipment. Rajoelina told Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
on 7 March that he was "now hiding in a safe location where I cannot be attacked"; it was later acknowledged that he had gone to the residence of the French ambassador on 6 March.
Mutiny and military leadership change
Soldiers at a military base in Soanierana district, near Antananarivo, mutinied on 8 March; they objected to the use of force against the opposition. United Nations envoy Tiebilé DraméTiébilé Dramé
Tiébilé Dramé is a Malian politician.Dramé was born in Nioro du Sahel. He studied at the Ecole normale supérieure in Bamako before obtaining his Advanced studies diploma in African history from the University of Paris...
said on 9 March that the UN was placing Rajoelina "under its protection in a diplomatic residence". The French Foreign Ministry said on 10 March that Rajoelina had left the French ambassador's residence.
On 10 March, the chief of staff of the Malagasy army, General Edmond Rasolomahandry, gave political leaders 72 hours to solve the country's problems and return peace, threatening to take over if this did not occur. The same day, Defence Minister Ranaivoniarivo announced his resignation shortly after a number of army officers visited his office to threaten a switch of allegiances to Rajoelina. On 11 March, pro-opposition soldiers from the CAPSAT (Army Corps of Personnel and Administrative and Technical Services) stormed the army headquarters and forced Edmond Rasolomahandry to resign. Analysts stated that civil war seemed a distinct possibility. Andre Andriarijaona replaced Rasolomahandry, apparently as a result of internal army deliberations and not a presidential appointment, and Andriarijaona said that the military would remain neutral and not seize power, thus revoking the 72-hour ultimatum. A spokesman for Rajoelina said on 11 March that Rajoelina would not participate in talks planned to begin the next day; subsequently the Christian Council of Churches announced that the talks would be delayed.
On 12 March, the opposition took over the Ministry of Finance and Budget with the support of the armed forces while the president's prime minister held a ten-minute meeting with the opposition-designated prime minister, who later stated that Rabemananjara had agreed to give up his job to him. The next day, the chief of the military police stated he was taking orders from Andre Andriarijaona and not from the general appointed by Ravalomanana; this was followed by the sending of army tanks against the Iavoloha Palace
Iavoloha Palace
Iavoloha Palace is the official residence of the President of Madagascar. It is situated 15 km to the south from the capital Antananarivo.-See also:* Ambohitsorohitra Palace, another office of the president...
of the president, while some 3,000–5,000 civilian supporters of Ravalomanana surrounded the palace to counter opposition protests further away from the area. The Ravalomanana supporters, however, were told to clear the road in case the army neared the area.
On 14 March, Monja occupied the prime minister's office while the opposition forces controlled the building. Monja announced that the opposition forces, called the High Authority of Transition, "is presiding over the destiny of Madagascar". Rajoelina gave the president four hours, until 6 p.m. (0300 GMT), to voluntarily resign, after which a mass civilian march would take place on the presidential palace to put Ravalomanana out of office; he explicitly ruled out a violent overthrow through military means. However, Ravalomanana later emerged from the guarded palace after the deadline had passed, asserting that he was still the legal president and calling for a national conference.
On 15 March, Ravalomanana offered to hold a referendum on whether he should stay in power or not, which was seen as a sign of under how much pressure he was. The following day, Rajoelina rejected this proposal and called on the security forces to arrest Ravalomanana.
Capture of palace and Ravalomanana's resignation
On 16 March 2009, one of the palaces of President Ravalomanana, the Ambohitsorohitra PalaceAmbohitsorohitra Palace
The Ambohitsorohitra Palace is a presidential palace in the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo. It has only a symbolic role and is not a residence of the president.-Political events:...
, was stormed and taken by soldiers of the Malagasy Army. Reports also indicate the capture of the country's central bank
Central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
. The president was not in the stormed palace at the time. The African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
condemned the action, calling it an "attempted coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
". The actions followed an earlier call from opposition leader Andry Rajoelina for the President's arrest; Rajoelina insisted that the palace seizure was not a coup, although he immediately installed himself in the presidential offices of the captured palace.
Hours later, the BBC stated that Ravalomanana was to resign and hand over the powers of both the president and prime minister to a military board headed by Vice Admiral Hyppolite Ramaroson. Ravalomanana later said, "I never resigned. I was forced to hand power over, at gun point, on March the 17th." At the time, Ravalomanana had already moved out of the Iavoloha Palace to an undisclosed location; as of 24 March, he was reportedly in Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
. The military junta, consisting of senior military personnel, would have been charged with organizing elections within 24 months and re-writing the constitution for the "Fourth Republic". However, Vice Admiral Ramaroson announced on 18 March that it would transfer power directly to Rajoelina, making him president of the opposition-dominated High Transitional Authority that he had appointed weeks earlier. With the military's backing, the authority was charged with taking up the task previously accorded to Ravalomanana's proposed military directorate. Madagascar's constitutional court deemed the transfer of power, from Ravalomanana to the military board and then to Rajoelina, to be legal. The court's statement did not include any justifications for its decision.
Rajoelina said that Ravalomanana should be prosecuted for allegedly using lethal force against unarmed opposition demonstrators earlier in the year. Rajoelina is prohibiting Ravalomanana's ministers from leaving the country.
On 19 March, Rajoelina suspended both chambers of Parliament
Parliament of Madagascar
The Parliament of Madagascar has two chambers.*the National Assembly has 160 members, elected for a four year term in single-member and two-member constituencies...
. Roindefo responded to international criticism on 20 March, saying that the government will "explain the real situation. Maybe the way Madagascar acts is not very clear. Things can be a bit specific which may be difficult to follow in every detail." According to Roindefo, the transfer of power was not a coup d'état but instead "the direct expression of democracy, when representative democracy does not express itself through the institutions". Rajoelina was officially sworn in as President on 21 March before a crowd of 40,000 supporters. No foreign diplomats were in attendance; Rajoelina's foreign minister said none were invited.
Backlash
On the same day, Malagasy navy troops called for Rajoelina's resignation by 25 March, threatening to use force otherwise to protect the constitution of Madagascar. According to their statement, the navy troops "condemn all violence against civilians" committed by the army corps in March and denounce Rajoelina for the "civil war occurring in Madagascar". The navy troops claimed that there was "irrefutable" evidence that Rajoelina had paid the army corps hundreds of millions of ariariesMalagasy ariary
The ariary is the currency of Madagascar. It is subdivided into 5 iraimbilanja and is one of only two non-decimal currencies currently circulating . The names ariary and iraimbilanja derive from the pre-colonial currency, with ariary being the name for a silver dollar...
and that they should face trials in accordance with military law. The navy troops called for other nations not to get involved in what they considered a purely domestic affair.
In a recorded message from Ravalomanana played to around 10,000 of supporters on 25 March, Ravalomanana encouraged people to "save the nation, defend the union and our national unity" because Rajoelina's government was "destroying our country with their coup."
Also on 25 March, Rajoelina invited Ravalomanana's political party to join other political parties, unions, and business leaders to discuss reconciliation on 2 and 3 April. Rajoelina said the meeting would also include planning for the next elections. Rajoelina said he would appoint the members of the group who would organize the meeting. Ravalomanana's political party, Tiako I Madagasikara
Tiako I Madagasikara
Tiako I Madagasikara is a political party in Madagascar founded by a group of individuals on July 3, 2002 to support President Marc Ravalomanana. It is now the largest party in the National Assembly of Madagascar with 106 of 127 seats, after the parliamentary election held on September 23, 2007....
(TIM), did not immediately comment on whether it would participate in those meetings.
On 26 March, Rajoelina's justice minister said that Rajoelina had given a presidential pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
to 28 "political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s" and that more would be pardoned in the future. Members of TIM spoke to the crowd. The names of the pardoned individuals were not made public.
About 6,000 people who supported Ravalomanana assembled in a park in downtown Antananarivo on 26 March, the fourth consecutive of such protests. Members of TIM spoke to the crowd. Referring to the reconciliation meeting proposed by Rajoelina, the speakers said that Ravalomanana would be involved only if he were recognized at the meeting as Madagascar's elected president and only if the United Nations, Southern African Development Community, or other another neutral, international body organized the meeting. The speakers urged Ravalomanana to leave Swaziland, return to Madagascar, and call the bicameral parliament back in session. One speaker said that elections should only be held after Ravalomanana was reinstated as president. Following the speeches, security forces fired tear gas and shot bullets into the air to disperse the crowd.
The following day, about 6,000 people who supported Ravalomanana assembled again, the fifth such demonstration in five consecutive days. Police used tear gas on the assembled individuals at the end of the event, as they did at the end of the previous day's demonstration.
On 28 March, between 15,000 and 20,000 protesters assembled for the sixth consecutive day. In a recorded message played to the assembled crowd, Ravalomanana encouraged his supporters to continue protesting and gave assurance that he would return to Madagascar soon. While marching towards the May 13 Plaza, the same location that Rajoelina's supporters had assembled earlier in the year, police fired their weapons into the air and used tear gas to disperse the crowds, resulting in a stampede that injured 34 people. A young protester named "Razily", who was seen in a video of the 28 March protests carrying the Malagasy flag at the head of the protests before being publicly beaten and carted off by police, became a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
when the video was distributed online; he has not been seen since his arrest. Police said they were trying to keep Ravalomanana's supporters from confronting Rajoelina's supporters. In response to the police actions, Ravalomanana's supporters encouraged a general strike on 30 March, saying, "Students should not go to school, office workers should stop their work and the private sector should stop paying taxes so as not to support an illegal regime." Protests continued nearly every day thereafter.
On 31 March, Rajoelina announced the individuals who would constitute the cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
of his transitional administration for 24 months until elections are held. Rajoelina compared himself to Ravalomana, saying that Ravalomanana was not immediately accepted by world leaders when he came to power in 2002. Rajoelina reiterated his previous statements that other countries should not "interfere" with his rise to the presidency of Madagascar. Rajoelina also announced a freeze of all mining contracts with foreign companies, saying that the foreign companies are not paying the fees and royalties that are legally due to Madagascar.
Still asserting that he was the legitimate president, Ravalomanana announced from exile that he was appointing Manandafy Rakotonirina
Manandafy Rakotonirina
Manandafy Rakotonirina is a Malagasy politician. He has been a significant political figure in Madagascar since the 1970s, and in April 2009 he was appointed as Prime Minister by ousted President Marc Ravalomanana.- Early life :...
as Prime Minister on 16 April. Ravalomanana made this announcement by telephone at a rally of his supporters in Antananarivo, with Rakotonirina in attendance.
On 20 April, people gathered in Antananarivo to listen to Ravalomanana speak by telephone and protest the closure of two radio stations, Radio Fahazavana and Radio Mada, the latter of which is owned by Ravalomanana. When the protesters began marching to a courthouse in the center of the city, police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and then fired their guns. A BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reporter witnessed a protester killed after being shot in the back at close range. Another protester was also killed and twenty people went to the hospital for injuries sustained during the protests. The following day, thousands of people assembled to mourn the two deaths. Prime Minister Roindefo Monja announced that "all demonstrations are banned, including those in support of Andry Rajoelina, in order to restore law and order." Despite the ban, a demonstration was held the following day. Over a thousand people assembled to protest, fewer in number and shorter in duration as compared in previous days.
Cars and trucks were set on fire and people were looting in Antananarivo on 23 April. Police used tear gas, detonators, and gun fire to break up protests. Six protesters were arrested.
After Ravalomanana appointed him as Prime Minister, Rakotonirina began working out of the Carlton hotel in Antananarivo, and he appointed ministers to occupy the key government portfolios on 28 April. Soldiers with a warrant for Rakotonirina's arrest stormed the Carlton and arrested him on 29 April; they found him hiding in a bathroom after searching for about an hour. A spokesperson for Rajoelina described Rakotonirina as "the mastermind of last week's violence". Also in late April, Rajoelina's government informed the AU that it was prepared to hold an election by the end of 2009, earlier than it had previously stated.
Reconciliation meeting
At a reconciliation meeting that included four former presidents of Madagascar and United Nations negotiators, it was announced on 3 April that a constitutional referendum would be held in September 2009, parliamentary elections in March 2010 and presidential electionsMalagasy presidential election, 2010
Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Madagascar in May 2012, after previously having been scheduled separately for various dates before finally being merged in May 2011 and postponed to September 2011.-Presidential elections:...
in October 2010.
On 11 April, Ravalomanana's supporters ended their participation in meetings with Rajoelina's supporters. Ravalomanana's supporters saying that the meetings were not worthwhile because their condition of the Ravalomanana's return to power was not met, nor was the United Nations' special envoy to Madagascar, Tiébilé Dramé
Tiébilé Dramé
Tiébilé Dramé is a Malian politician.Dramé was born in Nioro du Sahel. He studied at the Ecole normale supérieure in Bamako before obtaining his Advanced studies diploma in African history from the University of Paris...
, acting as an impartial mediator. In response, Dramé said he was "seeking a consensus" rather than an "imposed solution". On the same day, more than 10,000 people assembled in Antananarivo to protest Rajoelina's government.
At a meeting on 23 May 2009 a breakthrough was reached; a transitional government and a truth and reconciliation commission
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a court-like restorative justice body assembled in South Africa after the abolition of apartheid. Witnesses who were identified as victims of gross human rights violations were invited to give statements about their experiences, and some were selected...
was agreed to be formed, and all former presidents would be allowed to stand in the presidential elections; this last point was seen as controversial, as it might increase instability. However, on 25 May 2009 the party of Didier Ratsiraka
Didier Ratsiraka
Vice Admiral Didier Ratsiraka is a Malagasy politician who was President of Madagascar from 1975 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2002.-Second Republic:...
withdrew from the talks.
Mediation crisis talks
Former exiled president of Madagascar Marc RavalomananaMarc Ravalomanana
Marc Ravalomanana is a Malagasy politician who was the President of Madagascar from 2002 to 2009. A member of the Merina ethnic group, Ravalomanana served as Mayor of Antananarivo before becoming President in 2002...
, President of the High Authority of Transition of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina
Andry Rajoelina
Andry Nirina Rajoelina , born May 30 1974, is the former mayor of Antananarivo who became transitional head of state of Madagascar on March 21, 2009 after the 2009 Malagasy political crisis....
, former exiled Madagascar president Didier Ratsiraka
Didier Ratsiraka
Vice Admiral Didier Ratsiraka is a Malagasy politician who was President of Madagascar from 1975 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2002.-Second Republic:...
and former president of the Malagasy Republic Albert Zafy
Albert Zafy
Albert Zafy is a Malagasy politician. He was the President of Madagascar from 27 March 1993 to 5 September 1996.-Early life and career:...
are meeting beginning Tuesday August 4, 2009 in Maputo, Mozambican capital, for four day long mediation crisis talks with the former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano
Joaquim Chissano
Joaquim Alberto Chissano served as the second President of Mozambique for nineteen years from 6 November 1986 until 2 February 2005. Since stepping down as president, Chissano has become an elder statesman and is called upon by international bodies, such as the United Nations, to be an envoy or...
acting as mediator. Representatives from the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
(AU), United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(UN), the International Organisation of the Francophonie and the Southern African Development Community
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states...
(SADC). The mediation talks hope to arrive at a way for Ravalomanana to return to Madagascar from his exile in South Africa. The talks are also a trade meeting to begin negotiations on the transition charter to seek new elections in Madagascar. Ratsiraka who has been exiled in France has seen his amnesty issue resolved at the talks. The four leaders seek to again become a customs union (SADC), and representatives of the United Nations.
Unity government deal
On November 7, the leaders agreed to a power-sharing deal in which Rajoelina stays as president, creation of two co-presidents, Fetison Rakoto Andrianirina, aide to former President Ravalomanana and Emmanuel RakotovahinyEmmanuel Rakotovahiny
Emmanuel Rakotovahiny is a Malagasy politician who was Prime Minister of Madagascar from 1995 to 1996. A close ally of Albert Zafy, he is the President of the National Union for Democracy and Development , a political party, as well as the Vice-President of the National Reconciliation Committee , a...
, aide to former President Zafy. Prime Minister Eugene Mangalaza
Eugène Mangalaza
Eugène Régis Mangalaza is a Malagasy political figure who was appointed as Prime Minister of Madagascar on 10 October 2009 under the terms of an agreement intended to resolve the 2009 political crisis....
who was appointed on October 10 will be retained heading the 31-member cabinet. The deal also creates a 65-member council of transitional advisers and a transitional parliament composed of 258 members.
Environmental
During the transition in the government, people have been illegally hunting and logging in Marojejy National ParkMarojejy National Park
Marojejy National Park is a national park in the Sava Region of northeastern Madagascar. It covers and is centered around the Marojejy Massif, a mountain chain that rises to an elevation of . Access to the area around the massif was restricted to research scientists when the site was set aside as...
and other conservation areas in Madagascar. While the new Malagasy government is otherwise preoccupied and some park rangers have left their posts, armed groups are cutting down valuable rosewood
Rosewood
Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, marimbas, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general,...
trees. Laws prohibiting the export of rosewood were repealed in January 2009, so the illegally acquired logs can be sold and exported for profit. Thousands of local people have been involved in cutting a documented 123,000 rosewood logs representing an estimated 45,000 rosewood trees from Marojejy, Masoala and Makira National Parks between January–October 2009, with at least 871 containers already exported to China between March–April 2009 alone from the Vohemar and Toamasina ports. Floating the rosewood logs down rivers also requires cutting of 4-5 lighter trees, and several rosewood
Rosewood
Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, marimbas, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general,...
species are endangered or occur at low densities below 1-5 trees per hectare. Numerous new access paths are created and some individuals built a 6-kilometer-long road into a remote northern park to transport the logs. Some ships land directly on the coast to pick up the logs, rather than at government-controlled ports. Bribery of customs officials has been reported. Radio commercials have been aired seeking workers to help in the process. Extracting resources from these conservation areas is likely to threaten already critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
species such as the silky sifaka
Silky Sifaka
The silky sifaka , or silky simpona, is a large lemur characterized by long, silky white fur. It has a very restricted range in northeastern Madagascar, where it is known locally as the simpona...
lemur
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
, one of the top 25 most endangered primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
s in the world. A statement jointly released by several non-governmental organizations criticized the logging and hunting occurring in national parks, illegal mining, and slash-and-burn farming occurring in Madagascar. The joint statement said that "These deplorable acts will only further impoverish the country and deprive future generations of the Malagasy people from their unique natural heritage." The groups who issued the statement were World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
, Conservation International
Conservation International
Conservation International is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, which seeks to ensure the health of humanity by protecting Earth's ecosystems and biodiversity. CI’s work focuses on six key initiatives that affect human well-being: climate, food security, freshwater...
, Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and currently manages some of wild places around the world, with over 500 field conservation projects in 60 countries, and 200 scientists on staff...
, Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder Henry Shaw, a botanist and philanthropist.-History:...
, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is a conservation organisation with a mission to save species from extinction.Gerald Durrell founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust as a charitable institution in 1963 with the Dodo as its symbol...
, Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environment, The Peregrine Fund
The Peregrine Fund
The Peregrine Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 1970 that conserves threatened and endangered birds of prey. The successful recovery in the United States of the Peregrine Falcon, which was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1999 , enabled the organization to expand its...
, ONG Fanamby, Madagascar Fauna Group
Madagascar Fauna Group
The Madagascar Fauna Group or MFG is an international consortium of zoos and other conservation agencies which pool together resources to help conserve animal species in Madagascar, through captive breeding programs, field research programs, training programs for rangers and wardens, and...
, L'Homme et l'Environnement, and Plant Resources for Tropical Africa.
Contracts
Rajoelina canceled a contract with South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n company Daewoo
Daewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...
. Under the contract, Daewoo would have leased 1300000 hectares (13,000 km²) of land, almost half of Madagascar's arable land, for 99 years to grow corn and palm oil for export to South Korea, a project that may have created as many as 45,000 jobs. On 10 April, Madagascar's Minister of Land Reform confirmed that the contract with Daewoo had been canceled because its "approach was wrong", even though "the project by itself wasn't bad and such a project is welcome". As of 10 April, Daewoo said it had not been informed of the contract's cancellation and would proceed with the project regardless.
On 17 March, Canadian energy company Sherritt International
Sherritt International
Sherritt International is a Canadian energy company, based in Toronto, Ontario. It is involved in nickel and cobalt mining, thermal coal production, oil and gas exploration and production, and electricity generation...
said its 27-year $4.5-billion nickel-mining project would still begin in 2010 and reach full production in 2013, as scheduled. On 19 March, it said it was likely the project's start date would be delayed.
Economic
Finance Minister Benja Razafimahaleo reported a decrease in government revenue of 15 to 20 percent. Ravalomanana owns Tiko, the largest dairy farm in Madagascar. After Rajoelina became president, Rajoelina's supporters looted Tiko dairy farms, resulting in a milk shortage in Madagascar. Revenue from foreign tourists has decreased by 70 percent, in part because some foreign countries are cautioning their citizens against visiting the country About 70 percent of hotels have closed due to the sharp drop in business. One large hotel that has remained open temporarily laid off 150 of its 400 employees and cut the hours and wages of its other 250 employees. Strikes, wage shortages, and cuts in foreign aid are also causing economic problems for the country.Sports
On 28 January, the Confederation of African FootballConfederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
canceled a match between Madagascar's Academie Ny Antsika
Academie Ny Antsika
Academie Ny Antsika is a football club in Vakinankaratra, Madagascar. In January 2009, an Academie Ny Antsika match against US Stade Tamponnaise was canceled due to the 2009 political violence.-Performance in CAF competitions:...
and Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
's Union Sportive Stade Tamponnaise
US Stade Tamponnaise
Union Sportive Stade Tamponnaise, is a football club from Le Tampon, Réunion Island, founded in 1982 as the result of the fusion between S/S Tamponnaise founded in 1922 and Stade Tamponnais founded in 1971.-Stadium:...
, which was set to be played in Antananarivo.
International reactions
's Minister of Foreign AffairsMinister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's international relations section of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada....
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon, PC is a Canadian politician from Quebec and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former Quebec lieutenant. On October 30, 2008 he was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs...
said that Madagascar's recent political actions are illegal and "anti-democratic". Canada supports a peaceful and democratic resolution with help from the international community.'s Foreign Minister
Minister of Foreign Affairs (Czech Republic)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and handles foreign policy of the Czech Republic.- Ministers of Foreign Affairs :...
Karel Schwarzenberg
Karel Schwarzenberg
Karel Schwarzenberg or Karel, Prince of Schwarzenberg , 7...
called the removal of Ravalomanana a "coup d'etat".'s President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
urged Madagascar to hold elections "as soon as possible" to end the "coup d'etat". Sarkozy criticized the decision to dismiss Madagascar's parliament. Asserting that Ravalomanana should be kept safe, Sarkozy offered that "if he needs to be put on trial, he should be." condemned the violent transfer of power, urging democracy to return immediately. Germany said that street protests are not a democratic method of changing the government.'s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
issued a statement expressing "concern" that the governmental transition is "inconsistent with the ordinary constitutional procedures amid the political turmoil that has involved civilians". Japan "strongly expects" that democracy and constitutional order returns "at the earliest opportunity". Japan also urges that peace and the safety of civilians be upheld.'s president Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
telephoned Rajoelina immediately after Rajoelina took power to say that Libya would recognize Rajoelina's government.'s ambassador to the United Nations, Claude Heller
Claude Heller
Claude Heller Rouassant is the current Ambassador for Mexico to the United Nations and the Security Council. He has been Mexico's Ambassador to France, Cuba, Austria and Switzerland...
, said that it was "very clear that there was an unconstitutional coup" and said that elections were the only way to move Madagascar forward.'s Foreign Minister
Foreign Minister of Nigeria
The Nigerian foreign ministry is a statutory body created to handle the external push of Nigeria's domestic vision and ideals; it is headed by the Foreign Minister of Nigeria. As of late its mission has geared towards increasing awareness about Nigeria's economic potential...
Ojo Maduekwe
Ojo Maduekwe
Chief Ojo Maduekwe was appointed Foreign Minister of Nigeria on July 26, 2007 by President Umaru Yar'Adua.He left office in March 2010 when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet....
said that Nigeria urges "a restoration of constitutional order", calling the opposition forces "illegal and unconstitutional" and their actions "unacceptable".'s Minister of the Environment and International Development
Minister of the Environment (Norway)
The Norwegian Minister of the Environment is the head of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of the Environment. The Ministry was established in 1972....
Erik Solheim
Erik Solheim
Erik Solheim is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party . He holds two posts in the current Norwegian cabinet, and carries the title Minister of the Environment and Minister of Development Cooperation...
said that "there is an urgent need for a democratic solution to the current situation in Madagascar. The country is moving towards an economic disaster. I am deeply concerned about the people of the country".'s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov
Sergey Lavrov
Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov is the Foreign Minister of Russia. Prior to that, Lavrov was a Soviet diplomat and Russia's ambassador to the United Nations from 1994 to 2004. Lavrov speaks Russian, English, French and Sinhala....
stated that Russia is "concerned by the increased frequency of attempts on the African continent to resort to non-constitutional methods of solving internal political problems." He went on to say that, in addition to increasing economic and social problems, the use of force is of concern and runs counter to democratic principles, whilst affirming Russia's support of the African Union's position.n Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma is a South African politician and was an anti-apartheid activist. She was South Africa's Minister of Health from 1994 to 1999, under President Nelson Mandela, then Minister of Foreign Affairs from 17 June 1999 to 10 May 2009, under Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema...
said that South Africa would support "pressure", possibly including sanctions, and the "non-recognition" of Rajoelina's government by the Southern African Development Community.'s King Mswati
Mswati III of Swaziland
Mswati III is the King of Swaziland and head of the Swazi Royal Family. In 1986, he succeeded his father Sobhuza II as ruler of the southern African kingdom...
said that Rajoelina's rise to power was unconstitutional and "violates basic principles, protocols and treaties". The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Foreign Office Minister
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
Mark Malloch Brown
Mark Malloch Brown
George Mark Malloch Brown, Baron Malloch-Brown, KCMG, PC is a former Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the British government with responsibility for Africa, Asia and the United Nations...
said he "condemn[s] unreservedly the unconstitutional, undemocratic and apparently coerced transfer of power from President Ravalomanana to Andry Rajoelina. These events are tantamount to a coup d'état." He urges a peaceful, constitutional, and democratic resolution. State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
spokesman Robert Wood said "The United States is deeply concerned by the recent political violence in Madagascar". He advised the Malagasy people to use restraint and sort out differences by process of dialogue. Wood later confirmed that the State Department believes that "recent political developments in Madagascar constitute an undemocratic transfer of power". On 20 March, Wood said that the United States "condemns the process" of Ravalomanana's removal and Rajoelina's takeover, calling it "undemocratic and contrary to the rule of law". United States Ambassador to Madagascar
United States Ambassador to Madagascar
This is a list of United States ambassadors to Madagascar. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations since June 1960. The Embassy Tananarive was established on June 26, 1960...
R. Niels Marquardt
R. Niels Marquardt
R. Niels Marquardt is an American diplomat and incumbent United States Ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros. He was nominated by President George W. Bush on March 26, 2007. On May 25, 2007, the Senate confirmed his nomination. He was sworn in on August 17, 2007.-Biography:R...
described a "climate of insecurity" in Madagascar. Marquardt said that Madagascar would be likely be deemed ineligible for the trade preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act
African Growth and Opportunity Act
In May 2000, the U.S. Congress approved legislation known as the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA . The purpose of this legislation was to assist the economies of sub-Saharan Africa and to improve economic relations between the United States and the region...
if it did not hold elections by the end of 2009.'s Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande
Kabinga Pande
Kabinga Jacus Pande is a Zambian politician. Pande was appointed to the position of foreign minister in August 2007, replacing Mundia Sikatana. Pande had previously been the tourism minister.-External links:...
called Andry Rajoelina's coming to power in Madagascar "a setback and danger to the entrenchment of democracy and constitutional rule on the continent which should not be allowed to take root. " Zambia has also led the call for economic sanctions against Madagascar and suspension of the country from the SADC
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states...
and AU.
- The African UnionAfrican UnionThe African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
issued a statement regarding the events of 16 March, stating "The situation in Madagascar is an internal conflict. It is an attempted coup d'etat. We condemn the attempted coup d'etat. We ask the people of Madagascar to do everything consistent with their constitutionConstitutionA constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
." Madagascar's membership in the African Union was later suspended. The African Union threatened to expel Madagascar from the organization, and warned of the possibility of sanctions.
The European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
issued a statement that it was "seriously concerned about the situation of instability and uncertainty currently prevailing in Madagascar. The European Commission calls on all parties in Madagascar to ensure calm and invites them to participate immediately in a broader dialogue."
- Inter-Parliamentary Union President Theo-Ben GurirabTheo-Ben GurirabTheo-Ben Gurirab is a Namibian politician who has been the Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia since 2005; previously he was Prime Minister of Namibia from August 27, 2002 to March 19, 2005.-Political career:...
said he strongly condemns the "coup d'etat" in Madagascar, saying that any unconstitutional action overthrowing a government is fundamentally flawed and completely unacceptable. The Inter-Parliamentary Union suspended the membership of the parliament of Madagascar. The South African Development Community refused to recognize Rajoelina's presidency because "his appointment does not only violate the constitution of Madagascar, but also international principles, like the SADC, AU and United Nations protocols." The SADC "strongly condemns in the strongest terms the circumstances that led to the ousting of a democratically elected president of Madagascar." The SADC says that elections should be held within six months, rather than twenty-four months as proposed by Rajoelina. The SADC suspended Madagascar's membership until it restores constitutional order, and it urged Rajoelina to step down so that Ravalomanana could be reinstated as president. If Rajoelina does not comply with its decisions, the "SADC shall in collaboration with the African Union and the United Nations consider other options to restore constitutional normalcy." On 1 April, Madagascar withdrew its membership in the SADC. A delegation from the SADC visited Madagascar on 20 April, and another delegation visited on 23 April. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called on the Malagasy Government to give absolute priority to protection of the general population. He expressed concern about "the serious unrest" and the deaths. Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile MenkeriosHaile MenkeriosHaile Menkerios is a former Eritrean diplomat and currently the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs....
said that the United Nations urges "quick and inclusive elections" to return to a constitutional government in a process decided upon by the current and former governments.
Sanctions and suspensions of aid
Since 16 March, NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
has instituted sanctions, mostly consisting of a freeze of economic aid, primarily due to the unstable atmosphere in the country prior to the resignation of Ravalomanana, and it has retained such sanctions for the time being.
On 20 March, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the United States will suspend all non-humanitarian assistance to Madagascar.
The African Union suspended Madagascar's membership in the organization. The Peace and Security Council
Peace and Security Council
The Peace and Security Council is the organ of the African Union in charge of enforcing union decisions. It is patterned somewhat after the United Nations Security Council....
of the African Union announced that it would impose sanctions on the Madagascar government if an "unconstitutional" transfer of power were to take place, including total expulsion from the African Union. The African Union can enact sanctions if Madagascar does not restore constitutional order within six months.
The African Union's stance was corroborated by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg
Karel Schwarzenberg
Karel Schwarzenberg or Karel, Prince of Schwarzenberg , 7...
, who stated that the European Union may impose sanctions on Madagascar and not recognize the transfer of power, and the United States Department of State, which indicated a similar response to any "extra-constitutional" regime change. The Southern African Development Community will meet in late March to consider sanctions.
On 31 March, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
said it had not suspended its aid to Madagascar, which will continue for the next three years as previously agreed, but it also had no plans for new aid.
US President Barack Obama decided to remove Madagascar from the beneficiary of the AGOA African Growth and Opportunity Act
African Growth and Opportunity Act
In May 2000, the U.S. Congress approved legislation known as the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA . The purpose of this legislation was to assist the economies of sub-Saharan Africa and to improve economic relations between the United States and the region...
. On December 23 of the year 2009, President Obama officially also terminated the program for Guinea and Niger along with Madagascar all for undemocratic change of power. The AGOA program has helped created ten of thousands of jobs for middle class Malagasy especially in apparel manufacturing factories, it is feared that most of these jobs will be lost in the near future. Considering the important number of business affected by this decision, the economy of the capital city Antananarivo and Antsirabe
Antsirabe
Antsirabe is the third largest city in Madagascar and has a population of approximately 183,000. It's the capital of the Vakinankaratra region...
will be deeply affected fearing further social tension.
Government response
Most of the government response has been channeled through opposition prime minister Monja RoindefoMonja Roindefo
Monja Roindefo Zafitsimivalo is a Malagasy politician who was Prime Minister of Madagascar from March 2009 to October 2009. He was appointed on 7 February 2009 by opposition leader Andry Rajoelina at the head of Rajoelina's rival government; later, on 17 March, Rajoelina was installed in power by...
, who denied that the events leading to Rajoelina's gaining of the presidency was a coup, but rather a "direct expression of democracy, when representative democracy does not express itself through the institutions", and called on the European Union to reconsider its reaction to the events. Rajoelina dismissed the condemnations, stating that "if they haven't understood the process, they may well react. But if they stick to their line after we have spoken, it will be annoying".
Rajoelina has promised that the high cost of living would decrease because merchants had agreed to decrease the price of bread and cooking oil as of 30 March, and the cost of rice soon thereafter.
In response to the Southern African Development Community
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states...
's view that Rajoelina's rise to power was unconstitutional and its urging for elections within six months, Rajoelina said that membership in the SADC is "not in the interests of Madagascar". He said he would confer with others to decide whether Madagascar would continue to be a member of the SADC. "The prospect of an SADC intervention is unacceptable. Other states cannot interfere with the decision of (Madagascar's) High Constitutional Court" that the transfer of power to Rajoelina was constitutional.
External links
- Madagascar delivers plea on aid shipments (video) – BBC News