Vice-Admiral Mamy Ranaivoniarivo (born 6 December 1950 in Ambalavao

Ambalavao

Ambalavao is a city in Madagascar.Ambalavao is in the Haute Matsiatra region.The city is in the most southern part of the Central Highlands, near the city of Fianarantsoa....

, Haute Matsiatra

Haute Matsiatra

Haute Matsiatra is a region in Madagascar. It borders Amoron'i Mania region in north, Vatovavy-Fitovinany in east, Ihorombe in south and Atsimo-Andrefana in west. The capital of the region is Fianarantsoa, and the population was estimated to be 1,128,900 in 2004...

) was briefly the Defence Minister of Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 in early 2009. He was appointed to office on February 9, 2009, following 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....

's resignation, but resigned on March 10, 2009, after he was confronted by mutineer army officers who stated that they would no longer follow orders from current Malagasy 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...

 and instead switch allegiances to 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....

, but this was later rescinded as Ranaivoniarivo explained that the "resignation" had been done under gunpoint.