“The reality as you know it on the ground in Madagascar is characterized by fatigue that is felt by the people of Madagascar, people who are hoping the crisis will come to an end. A crisis to which, after all, they are the hostages. Whereas the socio-economic situation in your country is getting worse day by day. The people of Madagascar deserve better destiny and that depends completely on you”

This sentiment seems to be shared by a large portion of the blogosphere who focused their attention on the other challenges affecting Madagascar. Several provinces are currently plagued by the cumulative disastrous effects of a severe drought, the toxic spill of a ship wreck that poisoned the livelihood of thousands of fishermen and the ecological disaster of illegal logging of the rain forests.
(Update: A power sharing agreement was signed by the 4 political movements over the week-end (BBC) where Madagascar will be led by 3 co-presidents. More analysis can be found on this political breakthrough on Reuters and Madagascar Tribune (fr) )

The ecological scandal of the Gulser Ana toxic spill

The Gulser Ana was a Turkish freighter transporting Phosphate that sunk off the coast of Madagascar, spilling toxic waste in the process and killing migrating whales and causing illness among the fishermen community. Although the disaster has been reported in a few media recently, the ship started to sink two months ago as Malagasy bloggers signaled on their blogs back in early September.
Tomavana wrote on his blog (fr):

En plus d’écarter le drame écologique du Sud de l’île des actualités nationales, la controverse politique autour de ces nouvelles nominations pose la question du suivi de ce dossier sensible

Joan asks simply: “Have you heard of the Gulser Ana ?”. In the comment section, Capt Collin Smith explores the possible causes of the grounding:

The only explanation which can exculpate the Captain and Officer of the Watch of this vessel is mechanical breakdown. Anything else is human error, and therefore incompetence, if not recklessness. How can a ship go aground in perfect visibility if the OOW and Captain are paying attention and properly trained? [..] Another practice to save money. The Captain and OOW should have been arrested when they got ashore, and held.

Mialisoa reports on her blog that (fr):

les habitants « souffrent de problèmes respiratoires, et de maladies cutanées et diarrhéiques ». Car non seulement ces personnes ont été exposées aux déchets toxiques, mais le nettoyage des zones polluées s’est fait sans vêtements de protection et sans équipements adéquats

The lack of report early on in the media prompted this reaction from Tomavana on twitter:

“@fanjakely j'ai l'impression que les habitants Sud #Madagascar sont des malgaches de 2nde zone. J'entends nos beaux discours mais nous sommes pas #Solidaire”

Ship wreck via http://mialisenfout.hautetfort.com

Unfortunately that was not the only source of worry in the region.

Severe drought

Rain has been very scarce in the Southern region. According to the Guardian, the unseasonal dry weather caused by climate change (10% increase in temperature) has prompted a severe drought and warning signs of famine for the past six months. Tovoheryzo Raobi Jaona explains how climate change has affected the south (fr):

“Avant, il y avait une sécheresse tous les dix ans. Or, depuis 2000, il y en a eu quatre”

Féroce Remanongona, an elected official goes further as to say (fr):

Nous prions le Grand Dieu que le cyclone passe chez nous. Même s’il détruit nos maisons, c’est mieux que subir la sécheresse

This is a powerful statement when one recalls how the recent cyclone devastated the majority of the region.

The Panos Insitute recently published a series called “Pushed to the Edge” about the effect of climate change on the Malagasy population in the Southern region. Here is a testimony from the report by Bruno:

I noticed that the weather had changed from our usual predictions, and the rainy seasons were starting very late… Not only was rice production affected, but also sweet potatoes and cassava. It was getting hotter and hotter, which made planting cassava challenging… When I harvested it, I discovered that the roots had become smaller, compared to my previous harvest. In terms of rice, I used to collect three to four large baskets and now I can harvest only one small basket. The change is so obvious that it makes me ask the question, “What is happening to the climate?”

A recent academic paper for the American Political Science Association by Richard Marcus illustrates the challenges of water resource management in the Ambovombe-Androy region. The paper states that

“Rural communities are suddenly faced with having to pay exorbitant costs for water. They are ill-prepared to carry out their municipal functions and unable to raise the level of user-fees or community taxes necessary to fund infrastructure development”

Stephane, a blogger from Foko Madagascar attended the UN conference on climate change in September and blogged about the challenges facing developing countries like Madagascar.

Finally, a resolution to condemn the plundering of natural resources in Madagascar has been introduced by Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) at the House of Representatives. Illegal logging of precious woods from the rain forest has been increasing with the political turmoil. Courier International and l'Express de Madagascar also reveals that the government allowed for exportation of precious rosewood in late September (fr). More details on the illegal logging of the rain forest are available here (fr) .

Many Malagasy bloggers/twitterers followed the exchange on the UN webcast and reacted instantly via twitter as the crisis in Madagascar took another improbable turn.
As Rajoelina was about to take the stage, Malagasy blogger Aliotsy noted:

Congo's rep just called on member states (SADC or UN?) to walk out on Rajoelina if he speaks. http://www.un.org/webcast/ #Madagascar #fb

Rashaja is a bit perplexed:

situation is quite funny actually…total mess, total confusion. President of Session and advisor not experienced enough? #UN #Madagascar

Samganegie adds (fr):

président de l'assemblé est même sorti de sa tribune, et ses assistant sont completement paumés !!#madagascar

Streetrover bemoans the state of politics in Madagascar:

Rajoelina shunned at the UN, its ambassador @ UN publicly named in an internatnl bribery scheme on the same day! #madagascar needs a break!

HairyT and Solofo agree that it was a low point in Madagascar's history:

RT @solofo: What a shame for #Madagascar . I don't care about #Rajoelina/ RT Pdt Prevented from Taking Floor at #UN

The pro-government blog Madagate weighs in on the incident (fr):

Ce moment irritant dans l’histoire de Madagascar fait déjà partie du passé. Car cette crise aura une fin, quoi qu’il puisse arriver. Pour le moment, la majorité des Malgaches de Madagascar commence à la vivre très mal car ils se perdent en conjectures.

In the meantime, Unrest has once again broken in the aftermath of the UN fiasco. Investgasy posted on twitter today:

#Madagascar: shootings in Anosy (Tana) right now, armed 4×4 are everywhere

. The report was later confirmed by Reuters, reporting tear gas launching and wanring shots fired at demonstrators.

Finally Jentilisa reports that young reservists of the army who fought by Rajoelina's side early in the crisis are now demanding that Rajoelina keep his promises (mg):

..ny rezervista tanora, nitolona tamin'ny andron'ny TGV, hidina an-dalambe izy ireo hitondra sora-baventy satria tsy tanteraka ny fampanantenana natao tamin'izy ireo, toy ny hanomezana asa ho azy ireo tahaka ny hoe fampidirana azy ho miaramila ary hotsinjovina manokana ny rezervista nanohana ny tolona.

Presidential elections in Gabon were mired with accusations of fraud as Ali Bongo, son of recently-deceased president, Omar Bongo, was declared the victor. Post-electoral violence lead to the torching of French consulate in Port-Gentil, a city that also hosts the offices of French oil company Total.

In Madagascar, promising peace talks initiated in Maputo by an international mediation group eventually fizzled and today, protests were violently repressed by the transitional government. In the capital, Antananarivo, a few protesters were seen harassing vazaha ( foreigners) near hotel Glacier as military forces repressed protests against the formation of a government that did not include all the political groups as was agreed during the Maputo peace talks.

And in Mauritania, General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who took over after a coup d' etat a year ago, saw his power legitimized in an election that his opponents consider as potentially fraudulent. Yet Mauritanians wonder why France was one of the first nations to recognize (fr) the outcome of the elections.

The notion of Francafrique is such a widely accepted concept that in January 2008, former French Secretary of State for Overseas Development, Jean-Marie Bockel, stated that he was willing to “sign the death certificate of Françafrique”

The cozy living conditions that African leaders enjoy in France has been well-documented. The map of real estate properties in Paris of family of African dictators published by Rue89 is a telling evidence that France's effort to distance themselves from dictators is more words than action. The NGO cellule Francafrique lists details of evidences supporting the Francafrique concept with reports and photos on flickr.

For instance, Malagasy and French blogs were quick to point out that French Ambassador Chataignier was the first foreign officer to meet with Rajoelina the day after the coup d'etat in Madagascar. Malagasy blogger NJ links to the following video that aims to explain how Francafrique works in Madagascar:

A reason bloggers often cite for France's involvement in Madagascar is the potential for oil farming in the region of Bemolanga. Total has acquired 60% ownership of the Basin and is expected to produce 180,000 barrels of oil per day for more than 30 years. Reuters reports that the reserve of Tsimiroro could produce 1.7 billions barrels.

The enduring resentment towards France's actions for what is perceived, rightfully or not, as deleterious mingling into Africa's own development has sometimes taken violent proportions.

However, one Malagasy blogger Vony offers an alternative to anger towards French citizen in reaction to Francafrique. Vony writes in an open letter to French citizens in Madagascar (fr):

On dit que vous, Français, venez du pays des droits de l’Homme

Mais on sait aussi que vous vivez désormais dans un pays où la terreur règne,
Parce que Madagascar est aussi une partie de votre histoire, nous vous demandons
solennellement de nous soutenir et nous aider à retrouver notre dignité de
Malgaches et notre fierté de vivre sur cette île [..] Nous Malgaches au pays, en France et à l’étranger faisons appel à votre solidarité envers votre peuple ami et à votre foi en la démocratie et le respect des droits de l’Homme.
Parce que vous êtes aussi menacés par l’avenir sombre et désastreux qui nous guettent tous, , ne détournez pas les yeux mais tendez nous la main pour mieux dénoncer ce que vous ne toléreriez pas dans votre propre pays!

Tahina writes about yesterday's violence and how it brought back traumatic memories:

My bus line passes through the 13 Mai Square, a hot spot if not the hottest after the Ambohijatovo Park. And this logical question asked to the conducteur before getting on the bus “Do you go till Analakely?”, “Yes, Sir.” Along the street you pay attention to any abnormal things, people gathering at one place, suspicious traffic, you to stretch your ears to over hear others’ conversations. You take out your mobile and try to call someone who’s supposed to be downtown to know if he’s safe and ask him what he’s witnessed. All of that recalls me bad things. Things that I’m likely to live again in the days to come.

In Gabon, Malagasy blogger Harinjaka, who is currently based in Libreville, writes about potential evidence of fraud that led to Ali Bongo's victory:

of the cards featured in the image above, the one on the left is authentic, while the one on the right has been forged. The difference is quite clear - the one on the left has been stamped after the photo was attached, whereas the photo on the right was not stamped with the card, meaning that the photo can be changed - so that several people can vote with the same electoral card.

Here is a video of a Gabonese woman accuses France of being directly responsible for Bongo's fraudulent election (fr):

Such statements have often been dismissed in the West as nothing more than conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, the recent turmoils in Gabon, Mauritania and Madagascar have made Francafrique feel very real to African bloggers and citizens.

lullaby by Wide© Raf.f

Artist Gabriela Golder from Argentina has taken it upon herself to discover, record and collect lullabies from all over the world, and to find connections among them in the Arrorró project.  Rising Voices director David Sasaki wrote about the project on the 80+1 website, where he interviewed Gabriela on camera, and got authors and editors for Global Voices involved by inspiring many to record themselves singing the lullabies they remembered from their childhood.

David Sasaki wrote:

I sat down with Golder at El Hipopotamo in the San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires to learn more about what has been discovered in the 200 videos that have already been recorded, and how the project will evolve over the next two months leading up to its simultaneous live exhibition in Buenos Aires and Linz. Our conversation was in Spanish, but I have added English sub-titles to the video:

Inspired by the lullaby project, he recorded himself singing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, a song he remembered his parents singing to him to send him to sleep:

Our own Managing Director from Trinidad and Tobago, Georgia Popplewell also joined in, with Blanket Bay:

Lova Rakotomalala sang a lullaby from Madagascar about a duck:

Thanks to Onnik Krikorian and Veronica Khokhlova who suggested it, we bring you this Russian Animation Project that illustrates lullabies from all over the world with illustrations explaining the songs lyrics. Following, an Azerbaijani lullaby about a baby dreaming about his life, and a Ukrainian one where winter lulls babies to sleep. More lullabies from different countries can be found here:

This next one is a Brazilian song meant to scare babies into sleeping, suggested by Paula Góes: Ox with a Black face, where the Ox will take away the children who are scared of the black face. On the following video, a young girl is singing it:

Another lullaby with scary lyrics and an enchanting melody is the Shimabara Lullaby, roughly translated by Hanako Tokita as:

“I am too poor and not attractive so I won't be sold…. Please go to sleep or a trafficker
will come and get you… I wonder where all the girls are now and where they were sold to… Ororonbai, Ororoanbai…”

First of all, thanks to all the authors and editors who participated with sending in their childhood lullabies and recommendations, even if we couldn´t include them in this post. Please wait for Part II!

Thumbnail image modified from Wide© Raf.f's Lullaby … Moena

Recent weeks have seen an increase in acts of censorship, with in the arrest of reporter Evariste Ramanatsoavina, jailed on May, 5th, and the firing of Ravoajanahary Johary, director of National Television on May 19th. Journalists demonstrated for freedom of speech on May 15th, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters without Borders (fr) reported

Mohamed Hassim Keita of CPJ explains:

The protestors were showing solidarity for Ramanatsoavina, a presenter held in Antananarivo's Antanimora Prison on charges of “incitement to rebellion” and “civil disobedience,” according to defense lawyer Fidele Rakotondrainibe. The journalist, who denies the charges, is expected to appear in court for sentencing on Wednesday.

( video credits to pakysse )

Reporter Without Borders has further details on the arrest of Ramanatsoavina:

He was arrested at his home at 5 a.m. on 5 May by masked soldiers as his daughters looked on, and was taken to the National Mixed Committee for Investigations (CNME), which is located in the suburb of Ambohibao, in premises that used to be the headquarters of the former domestic intelligence service, the DGID [..] The decision to bring charges against Ramanantsoavina contradicted an initial statement by communication ministry secretary-general Charles-Aimé Randriamorasata that the authorities had arrested him simply to find out where Radio Mada was broadcasting from.

Razily's Release

For its part, the Malagasy blogosphere was buzzing about the good news of Razily's release. Ndimby on fijery blog explains the key role bloggers played in pressuring the government and what his release means for the online community following the Madagascar crisis:

Devant la démission des médias traditionnels sur le sujet, et il faut bien le dire, de l’opinion publique nationale devenue par la force des choses blasée, ce sont les blogueurs qui ont mis la pression. Alors qu’on n’a jamais vu un article de la presse écrite malgache poser la question, les internautes malgaches se sont mobilisés aux quatre coins du monde. Des gens qui ne se connaissaient pas, qui ne se parlaient pas, qui ne connaissaient pas Razily, en ont fait le symbole de leur lutte pour la démocratie et les droits de l’homme. Rappelons que suite à la mobilisation de la société civile et des blogueurs, le haut-commissaire des Nations unies aux droits de l’homme a envoyé discrètement un émissaire discuter avec le pouvoir de transition. Ce diplomate a rencontré à plusieurs reprises le Colonel Rakotonandrasana, le chef des mutins devenu Ministre de la défense

Blogger Avylavitra wonders why there is so much mobilization now and where everyone was earlier in the conflict (mg) ?

Fanamarihana kely avy amiko fotsiny ny hoe: fa maninona moa no tsy nihetsika toy izao ny mpanao gazety fony nitranga ny fahafatesan’i ANDO (RTA)?

demonstration photo by http://gazetyavylavitra.wordpress.com/

( March against censorship by Avylavitra)

A prominent Malagasy, website TopMada, notes that the committee of journalists in Madagascar is weary of the increased partisanship of journalists in the Malagasy political landscape:

Selon le comité des journalistes, l’image du journalisme est fortement ternie suite à la participation active de certains de leurs confrères dans les actions et activités politiques. Les journalistes veulent revenir à la déontologie et à l’éthique de la profession

Representatives of the UN security council and the African Union are meeting for a “Madagascar contact group” in Addis Ababa to ensure that the nations take a common position in pushing for a return to constitutional order in Madagascar. Although each Malagasy political party announced that they had representatives present at the meeting, it turns out that none of the opposition parties were present during the decision-making process meeting.

In the meantime, former president Marc Ravalomanana, in exile in South Africa, appointed a new prime minister, Mandandafy Rakotonirina, to form a new government, in effect disputing the legitimacy of the transitional government. A few days after Rakotonirina listed the new members of his cabinet, he and his acquaintances were arrested by the security forces on charges of “illegally declaring himself as prime minister, vandalism & possessing weapons”.

Malagasy bloggers were quick to react news of the arrest:

Rakotonirina arrested by Commander Andrianasoavina via andrydago.wordpress.com

Malagasy blogger, andrydago posts photos and describes the circumstances of the arrest of Rakotonirina in details and wonders whether the military thinks that this arrest will put an end to the movement.

Avylavitra posts the video of the arrest on his blog:

Jentilisa describes and transcribes what is happening on the video:

Efa tsy zoviana intsony fa ny Komandà Charles Randrianasoavina no nitarika ny miaramila hisambotra ireto mpitari-tolona ireto. Io Komand io no nitazona tamin'ny vozon'akanjony ny praiminisitra Manandafy sady niedinedina hatrany niteny hoe : “Ahy ialahy manomboka androany! Ahy ialahy manomboka androany!”.

The transitional government justifies the arrest by saying that Manandafy Rakotinirina is charged with illegitimately declaring himself prime minister, instigating the destruction of property and illegal possession of firearms.

A video taken the day after shows an assigned to residence Rakotonirina with bruises on his face.

The instances of dubious actions by the military forces are not limited to the excessive use of force during arrest. Many bloggers report that armed personnel are roaming around in the city in 4X4 vehicles and shooting in the air to intimidate passersby. Solofo posts photos of a vehicle showing a man with a rifle standing outside the car window following a military truck full of armed soldiers.

Vola, in the comment section of the post, writes that the head of the army explains thusly the cause of death of 2 protesters:

… ils se sont cognés avec des véhicules dans la mêlée [..] il est comique Noël Rakotonandrasana sur ce coup là quand même. Ecoutez l'interview [RFI] à la fin

Another instance of abuse of power by the military can be found in the ongoing case of Razily. Razily is the young man who marched towards the armed forces carrying a flag and who was arrested on the spot for flag theft. Ethan Zuckerman explains the background behind Razily 's story. A petition has been created to demand that the armed forces provide updates on the status of Razily and a time frame for his trial date. The petition has already gathered a few signatures and has been relayed by a few twitter users:

twitter users concerned about Razily's fate

As a reader comments on Madagascar Tribune online  :

“Mais quel symbole !!!. Un homme seul qui brandi fièrement le drapeau de son pays arrêté sans ménagement par des militaires sensés justement défendre les couleurs de ce drapeau. Lui même jeté dans le fourgon !!!.”

We still do not know for sure what happened to Razily, but he is hailed a hero by Malagasy internet users. Malagasy mainstream media seem not to have followed up with his fate. Malagasy social media users, like Solofo Rafeno, on his twitter account and his blog are orchestrating a campaign to demand that the HAT government free Razily and the other two men who were with him. Solofo also demands to know the whereabouts of a pro-Ravalomanana journalist who has been reported missing since the grab of power.

A petition now circulates on Facebook for those demanding Razily's freedom.

Then, last sunday, Andry TGV Rajoelina's government seized equipment from two radio broadcasting stations, Radio Fahazavana and Radio Mada, which both support the ousted President Marc Ravalomanana.

Mydago.com reports the closure of the two stations :

“Pendant le jour du Seigneur du 19 avril, la Radio Chrétienne Fahazavana (Lumière) ainsi que Radio Mada et TV Mada ont été détruits par les militaires mutins du Capsat. Il faut reconnaître que ces organes d’informations ont depuis quelques jours gêné, voire irrité le nouveau régime issu du coup d’état de Madagascar. Nous pouvons nous souvenir que déjà depuis quelques jours, par exemple nous avions eu vent de plaintes de brouillage sur Radio Mada. Par ailleurs, d’autres informations ont confirmé que des pressions s’exercent sur les journalistes de la Radio et la télévision nationales (Radio et TVM).”

It is ironic to recall that back in December 2008, it was Andry TGV Rajoelina's VIVA TV station which was forced to close by Marc Ravalomanana, for broadcasting a speech by former President Ratsiraka where the latter harshly criticized Ravalomanana and incited the Malagasy people to revolt.

Fijery notices the similarity :

“Dimanche dernier, au milieu de toute la splendeur de leur clairvoyance, Andry Rajoelina et Gilbert Raharizatovo ont fait un copier-coller de la décision ridicule de réduire Viva TV au silence, et ont tenté de fermer Radio-Mada et Radio Fahazavana.”

After his nemesis, Ravalomanana, closed down VIVA TV,  Andry TGV organized protests in the streets to demand the reopening of the television station, touted his outrage at this blatant disrespect of freedom of speech and democracy, and branded Ravalomanana a “dictator”. Global Voices has a special section on the crisis.

Yet not even six months later, after Andry TGV successfully grabbed power with the help of mutineers, and proclaimed that freedom is won and dictatorship vanquished, Andry TGV's sbires are now the ones threatening radio and TV stations with closures, intimidating journalists and bloggers, forbidding public protests and shooting at protesters, all under the pretext of preserving law and order and public safety, a surprising concern for a government that not even two months ago, has itself used street protests, intimidation and general thuggery to rise to power.

Due to the violence and the threats, shops and factories were forced to permanently shut down, their employees were dismissed, the $350 million a year once promising touristic industry tanked, hotels are now staying empty. The HAT government has proposed that entry visas, which once cost 60 euros to obtain, are now to be offered for free in a desperate measure to revive tourism.

The HAT government, which professed last month that elections were not needed because the people had already spoken through the streets, then proceeded to forbid all public rallies. As reports The Cyber Observer:

“Today (Tuesday April 21st, 2009), the HAT prime minister Monja Roindefo led a special council at the state palace of Iavoloha.
It has been decided that, starting from tomorrow (Wednesday April 22nd, 2009), all political rallies throughout Madagascar, are forbidden until further notice.
In order to maintain the public order (bear in mind that when Andry Rajoelina came to power, he proclaimed state of emergency throughout Madagascar), the state has the right to make such decision. But in the other hand, due to the fact that there is a daily and massive growing wave of public contestation throughout Madagascar, is it really wise to impose such a ban?”

On Monday April 20 and again on Thursday April 23, there were massive crowds in Antananarivo, protesting the shut down of the pro-Ravalomanana radio stations. Unfortunately the Rajoelina government copied Ravalomanana's methods and ruthlessly repressed the protests, showing in the process that Ravalomanana the “dictator” may be gone, but his replacement, Andry TGV Rajoelina is not fulfilling his promise to bring freedom and democracy to Madagascar. One of the reproaches Andry TGV Rajoelina's supporters made to Ravalomanana was the use of armed civilians mingled with soldiers during protests repressions. Yet again, civilians were seen carrying weapons alongside soldiers, and some were even seen giving soldiers orders, when together they shot at protesters without warning, and according to some accounts, used deadly bullets.

According to witnesses, the Associated Press and the BBC, two people died and more than 15 were wounded on Monday.

“The BBC's Jonny Hogg in the city saw at least one person shot in the back at close range, and said cars were set on fire close to government buildings. “

“Radio Madagascar said numerous casualties were being taken to the Antananarivo's main hospital. There was no immediate confirmation of the report nor official word about injuries or deaths.”

“An AP reporter saw roaming gangs erecting barricades and burning cars in the capital, with the worst unrest concentrated near a downtown square that has become the focal point for protests.
Supporters of ousted President Marc Ravalomanana had defied a ban on demonstrations issued by Madagascar's military-backed leader Andry Rajeolina following repeated clashes.”

Soldiers then wanted to invade HJRA, Hopital Ravoahangy Andrianavalona, the hospital where the wounded were taken -to what end one cannot help but wonder- but the protesters managed to stop them.

The Cyber Observer offers a suggestion as to why the soldiers wanted to storm the hospital:

“According to some eye-witnesses, 02 people were killed by security forces in Anosy. This information has been confirmed later by Fahazavana radio (this radio is back on air since today at 01.30pm Madagascar time - we do not know yet where its current location is and if it has been allowed by the ministry of telecommunication to broadcast again). The bodies of these 02 people are now at the HJRA hospital in Andrefan’Ambohijanahary.
According to another eye-witness, there were militaries who came to HJRA hospital to take the bodies of these 02 people. They were heavily armed. People around the premises of HJRA hospital did not allow them to do so. Now at the time I am typing this post, Fahazavana radio is calling people to go to Andrefan’Ambohijanahary to protect HJRA hospital”

Back in February, on Red saturday, Ando Ratovonirina, one cameraman of the television station RTA was killed in the line of action by the soldiers of the then embattled Marc Ravalomanana. Two months later, this time again, a professional journalist of the same television station, Razafindraibe, was killed by Andry TGV Rajoelina's government, also in the line of action.

Freedom of speech still evades Madagascar. Fijery writes a sober analysis of the lack of impact of journalism on Malagasy life :

“…qu’est-ce qu’une vie de journaliste dans un pays ou même la sacro-sainte Constitution n’est pas respectée ? La presse a déja payé un lourd tribut dans cette crise, avec deux décès et plusieurs agressions. Et vu le faible niveau de respectabilité de la pratique politique et des politiciens dans notre pays, il est inutile pour les journalistes Malgaches d’adopter littéralement la devise de Jean-Jacques Rousseau : Vitam impendere vero.”

Razily's arrest - courtesy of radotiana.blaogy.com

The HAT is now de facto leading Madagascar, since the former President Marc Ravalomanana opted not to resign but has instead transferred power to a military Directorate. Under duress , (the details can be witnessed on a youtube.com video and the American ambassador bears witness to the events, as he was also threatened with weapons pointed at him ), the Directorate then transferred power to the HAT. The HAT has since been duly recognized as a legal authority by Madagascar's Haute Cour Constitutionnelle de Justice which is responsible of making sure that the laws of land and the constitution are being respected in Madagascar.

No countries have so far recognized the HAT and its new President, Andry Rajoelina, the youngest African president ever, who under the Malagasy constitution, is still six years too young to even be on a Presidential election ballot ! And the former Malagasy President, Marc Ravalomanana, barely escaped from his Palace and is now seeking refuge in South Africa and Swaziland.

The Southern African Development Community and the African Union , while harboring themselves some countries that are no slouches in the antidemocratic and human rights violations department, have taken the stand that they will not tolerate putsches amongst their members and have not only banned Madagascar from their midst but are also considering sanctions.

Many western countries such as Norway and the United States have stopped aid to Madagascar and concerns have been raised on how the poverty stricken country which relies on aid for 80% of its budget will manage to hold its head above water, although the HAT has now declared its intentions on selling Ravalomanana's private jet recently purchased $60 million Air Force One/Two jet to replenish its coffers, at least in the short term. France which was accused by some as having, if not engineered the coup, then at the very least of supporting it, has been doing some amends of its own, saying now that it still considered Ravalomanana as Madagascar's President according to the constitution.

Such is the mind boggling and categorization defying political crisis that bloggers and twitterers are striving to report on. Online content about the crisis have been plentiful and have attracted international attention. Our colleague, Lova Rakotomalala, has been the subject of a Wall Street Journal article and a CNN interview for his dedication to relaying and translating Madagascar based twitterers' contributions. Another blogger, Solofo Rafeno, has been invited to a debate hosted by France24 News.

There are however some alarming developments that could hinder Malagasy twitterers and bloggers' reporting in the future. One website, Topmada.com, reports on March 30 that :

“20:00 - La police et les militaires ont arrêté certains journalistes et photographes pour les forcer à effacer leurs photos”

This information is confirmed by twitterers. Twitterer Thierry_ratsiz was held and forced to delete his pictures by the security forces.

thierry_ratsiz: #madagascar Ils m'ont juste prie de ne pas prendre photos (d'eux!!) et effacer photos, peur de photos diffuses sur internet!!
thierry_ratsiz: hola, interpele par les gendarmes pour avoir ete surpris en prenant des photos… :/ #madagascar

R1lita and Pakysse experienced the same thing as reported:

TRT @r1lita: @pakysse, other twitterer in #Madagascar, was also ordered to delete the photos he took in Antaninarina by police earlier.

But the most scary incident was reported by Avylavitra, one of the bloggers who has the most prolifically covered the crisis. He writes :

“Nahazendana ny maro ny zavatra nitranga teto satria tsy nanmpoizina velively: nisy iray tamin’ireo miaramila avy tao amin’ny RM1 izay nivoaka teo amin’ny arabe no tonga dia nanondro basy AHY no sady niteny hoe:
Miala any ny mpanaogazety, Tsy mila mpanao gazety eto. Miala sao tifiriko eo an.

Tsy nahita izay hatao aho no sady nanangana fotsiny ny karatra niantona tety ambozoko. Eo ambony Scooter aho amin’io raha mandeha an-tongotra kosa ny maro tamin’ireo mpanao gazety sy mpaka sary maro namana teny an-kianja mafana teny. Rehefa hitany fa tsy nihetsika aho no sady mbola nanangana ny karatra tety an-tanako, dia vao mainka niakatra ny feon’ilay ranamana. Tsy haiko na mpifehy ao amin’io toby io ilay zalahy iny, na iza. Fa ny fihetsika nataony aloha no niarahana nahita.

Nisy tamin’ireo mpanao gazety sasany no nihiaka niteny azy nanontany hoe :

Fa hatramin’ny oviana ny mpanao gazety no tsy mahazo maka sary sy manao ny asany. Sa efa niova indray koa ny lalàna?

Namaly ranamana no sady efa nikendry ny lohako. Ny elanelan’ny trotoir roa no manasaraka anay amin’io fotoana io. Hoy indrindra izy:

Rehefa hoe tsy mila mpanao gazety eto dia tsy mila, miala hoy aho sao tifiriko eo. Tifiriko ialahy an!’

Fahatsiarovana sady tsara no ratsy ho ahy iny ry zalahy namana. Kanefa tsy mba voatahiriko an-tsary, fa dia ny nanodina ny Scooter sy ny nidina ambanimbany namonjy ireo mpanao gazety sy mpaka sary sasany no nataoko sisa.

Koa miangavy anareo izay nahazo sary an’iny ’scène’ iny aho, tena miangavy. Mba omeo sary hotehiriziko, na farafaharatsiny, mba omeo rohy hahafahako mijery azy.

Enga anie ka ho anatra ho an’ireo miaramila rehetra ny namoahako ity lahatsoratro ity, fa aleo hivoaka ny marina sy ny nisy. Izay rahateo no ezahako ijoroana hatrany amin’ity GazetyAdaladala ity. “

mydago.com has a humorous take on this turn of events :

“Mais que peut internet contre des armes à feux ? Contre des lacrymogènes ? Contre des militaires en pick up et brodequins ? Et fusils ? Rien ! Mais absolument rien ! Alors quel est le problème ? Et puis Madagascar est une île. Laissez donc tranquille cette île. C’est bien une île. Il y a la mer autour. Et la prochaine terre est loin. Cà permet de tout cacher. Les violence, les excès, et tout. La dictature même. Les dictatures.

Mais aujourd’hui, plus rien ne va. Quand on fait un coup d’état, les militaires ne peuvent plus faire leur travail normalement comme avant. Les jeunes d’aujourd’hui sont intenables. Ils sont extrêmement ennuyeux !!! Ils prennent des photos et des vidéos. Ensuite ils les transmettent par internet à des sites. Qui ensuite les publient dans le monde entier. Ah, ils sont vraiment ennuyeux ces jeunes d’aujourd’hui. Il n’y a plus de valeurs. Ils ne respectent plus la force ! La force militaire !”

This post also appeared on Global Voices Advocacy

Stephen Ellis, co-author (with Solofo Randrianja) of Madagascar: A Short History, and professor at the Free Unversity of Amsterdam, explains the roots of the turmoil in Madagascar:

Madagascar's instability derives in large part from the combination of extreme poverty (the fate of some 70% of its people) and the fact that the island has one of the world's highest birthrates (the population has increased from less than 3 million around 1900 to 6 million in 1960, to 20 million today). The arrival of large numbers of young people every year looking to join the job market has created a volatile atmosphere in Antananarivo[..] Ravalomanana was elected to a second term in 2006. But even as president he continued to pursue his interests as one of the country's leading businessmen, and there is no doubt that this contributed greatly to his downfall [..] He also made a grave error in negotiating with a South Korean company that wanted to lease an enormous agro-business concession to grow food for export. This raised fears over land tenure in a country where people are intensely attached to their ancestral land

Ethan Zuckerman explains the relationship between the failed land deal with the South-Korean company Daewoo Logistics and the current unrest:

The Korean corporation recently signed an unprecedented agreement to lease 3.2 million acres of arable land from Madagascar at $12 an acre [..] Daewoo plans to put most of the land under corn for export to Korea and the remainder under oil palms, hoping to export the oil on the bio-fuels market. This is a very odd deal, given that Madagascar is a nation that faces food insecurity and has a population that, for the most part, is composed of subsistence farmers[..] Given the ecological sensitivity of the island, it seems like untouched land might be a resource the nation would want to conserve in the long term.

On March 17th, deposed president Marc Ravalomanana handed over power to a military committee so that a referendum on the state of the nation could be organized.   The then-opposition rejected that arrangement and power was transferred to the opposition leader Rajoelina.

Citing this rapid transfer of power, the new government argues they did not stage a coup, an opinion the international community does not share.  U.S. Ambassador Niels Marquardt declared to Midi Madagasikara newspaper that he witnessed first-hand the use of military force and threats during the takeover (fr):

J'ai pu voir de mes propres yeux jusqu'à quel point on a eu recours à la force dans ce coup d'Etat. Moi-même, j'ai été menacé verbalement et avec des fusils. Ce n'est pas normal que les militaires d'un gouvernement menacent les diplomates accrédités dans le pays.

Here is a video of the events narrated by the US Amabassador:

A few days later, several countries froze aid to Madagascar.

The pinch from this suspension of funds was felt almost immediately by  many by entrepreneurs in Madagascar. Andriatefihasina Hary wrote on the Facebook bulletin board entitled:” What do you fear about the suspension of international aid? (fr):

A titre personnel, je trouve problématique la suspension des aides extérieures. A titre d'exemple, nous faisons un chantier financé par la banque mondiale. Si leur retrait se confirme, nous serons obligé de licencier tout le monde

Hary's example is only one of many. Eric Koller, head of Madagascar's hotel and restaurant federation explains to the BBC :

Eighty per cent of hotels are closing and the provinces have been especially hard hit. Most hotels have reduced staff by 50%, and some have laid off all staff without pay.

Even Madagascar's biodiversity is now facing urgent threats. Revkin on the New York Times Dot Earth blog explains that Marojejy National Park, famous for its endangered species, is now being invaded by loggers and its director threatened.

March 28th may turn out to be another turning point in the enduring crisis in Madagascar.

Videos taken during the demonstration against the coup show that police dispersed the crowd by firing on protestors and using tear gas (fr):

A protester named Razily carrying a Malagasy flag has struck the imagination of the Malagasy blogosphere. He was filmed marching towards the armed forces alone, while bullets hit the ground around him until he was eventually pushed into a van by the police. A video of Razily was also posted on the New York Post:

Razily facing police March 28th (via topmada.com)

Many twitterers reacted to Razily's act of bravery.

Hery notes (fr):

Un manifestant courageux arreté par les militaires à #madagascar

TJ writes that the video has a familiar feel to it:

video from #madagascar : man (alone) w/ a malagasy flag arrested by military force, scene reminiscent of tiananmen square.

Aliostsy adds:

This “Tiananmen” moment in #Madagascar could rally opposition to the new TGV regime. “

Given the events of the past couple of days, it seems that tension has yet to ease in Madagascar.   The Economist suggests that the new government is still on rather fragile ground.

Finally, as we look back at the cause of this crisis, Alex Evans blogs at the Global Dashboard that South Korea still does not seem to understand what the fuss is all about: one of the largest national newspapers, Chosun Ilbo, publishes a rather controversial cartoon depicting a black-faced mob with sticks going after a Korean worker seeding the land.

The power struggle that has plagued Madagascar since January may have come to an end.  Yesterday, after attempts by Andry Rajoelina supporters to remove President Marc Ravalomanana from office, the army, which has now sided with Rajoelina, took control of the presidential palace in Ambotsirohatra.

A few hours later, Ravalomanana officially resigned and transferred power to a military committee (mg/fr) composed of four army generals loyal to him. Rajoelina refused to accept the handover, and the generals were arrested by soldiers loyal to Rajoelina, along with a pastor assisting with the mediation (mg). The pastor was also later found beaten by civilians.

Footage of the abusive treatment of the army generals by former mutineers were a reminder that violence might still be erupting in a divided country.

There were many celebrations in the streets of Antananarivo following the news that Ravalomanana resigned.

However, Ravalomanana supporters are said to plan be planning a rally for Wednesday in Mahamasina stadium to protest what they consider a “coup d'etat”.

Malagasy soldiers in Antananarivo

[Photo credit to Foko-Madagascar on Foko-Madagascar on Flickr]

Desepite this major turning point, the simmering tension and division among Malagasy bloggers who are afraid of what tomorrow may bring, was palpable.

Journalist/Blogger Mialy Randriamampianina talked to Voice of America about what the people fear:

There is great confusion among the people because up to now we don't really have any information about what the rally is going to be about and what they are going to do. And again, we are worried about trouble in terms of clashes between supporters of Marc Ravalomanana and the supporters of Andry Rajoelina. There was an event just over a week ago where there were some confrontations and violence between the two camps. So, that kind of rally always creates trouble and we are worried about violence in this country

Blogger Lomelle echoes that statement in her interview with Le Monde even though she is “glad” Ravalomanana resigned (fr):

…on ne sait pas vraiment ce que veut faire l'opposition. Je crains le pire. Rajoelina n'a pas l'étoffe d'un président. Il est trop jeune et manque d'expérience. Je doute de sa capacité à mener le pays

Madagate is thrilled that Ravaloamana is out and that Rajoelina is in charge of the HAT (the transition government) (fr):

Marc Ravalomanana, le petit laitier d’Imerikasinina, a été renié par ceux à qui il venait de remettre les pleins pouvoirs. Ils n’ont pas voulu vendre leur âme au diable. Les carottes sont cuites pour ce président qui a montré son véritable visage. A force de jouer avec le feu et les idoles, on se brûle. Ce fut vraiment le combat de la lumière et des ténèbres.

Jentilisa has a different take (mg):

Manahy dia manahy aho raha ny zavatra hita androany no ijerena ny ampitso fa dia tena faneriterena tsy misy toy izany no hihatra amin'ny tsirairay hanatanterahana ny sitrapon'ny mpitondra vaovaon'ny firenena izay lazaiko sahady fa tsy ekeko satria an-terisetra no nanaovany ny zavatra rehetra.

Hery thinks that peace still won't settle soon in Madagascar despite this change (mg):

Tsy resy lahatra aho amin'ny hilaminan'ny politika ao Madagasikara ao anatin'ny 2 taona farafahakeliny raha mandray fitondrana ny TGV [..] Hafa ny mitolona, ary hafa ny mitondra firenena.

On Saturday, it started with Rajoelina's appointed prime minister, Monja Roindefo, walking into Prime Minister Charles Rabemananjara's offices and taking control of the building (fr) as reported by Virginie.  He declared then that his camp was now in control of the country. Later in the morning, Re_Hita reports that Rajoelina, who has been in hiding for the past week, came to Place du Mai 13 and demanded that President Ravalomanana resign from office (fr).

A few hours later, malagasy website Topmada posted a statement by the government denying that the opposition was in control and stating that they are still planning to organize negotiations between the rival sides (fr).

At Place du 13 Mai, Jacques Sylla, leader of the parliament, took the stage with Rajoelina and called him the new leader of the nation (mg).

Barijaona wrote that Rajoelina denied during his speech that he wanted to end Ravalomanana's life and reiterated that he would not send the army into the presidential palace because he wanted to avoid a blood bath. Indeed, a report from Cyril Vanier at the palace states that a few hundred people have staged a sit-in in front of the palace to protect the president.

Thierry posted that an ultimatum was sent by Rajoelina for the president to resign within 4 hours.

In the meantime Virginie wrote that looters entered the presidential palace, currently vacant because Ravalomanana is at his residence in Iavoloha.

4 hours later, the ultimatum passed without Ravalomanana's resignation. Thierry reported that the army would not attack the presidential palace.

On Sunday, the Malagasy blogosphere waited with anxiety for further developments and were quite unsure as to who is really in charge.

Ravalomanana offered a referendum as a potential exit to the crisis and warned his followers that “the crisis is not only between Malagasy people” (fr).

Arinaina suspects that the national radio frequency has been pirated yet again.

Barijoana and Re_Hita watched the first television news on a now Rajoelina-controlled national television channel. Barijaona notices that even though it featured the speech by Ravalomanana and his refusal to quit, his call for a referendum was cut out of the speech (fr).

The news also featured former members of the presidential guards (who quit the day before) and who now have joined the army. DotMG reports that the former guard called for the removal, by force if necessary, of the civilians sitting in front of the palace.  The former guards also reported the presence of mercenaries and armed civilians.

Ranaivoniarivo was appointed to the post only a few weeks ago, after Cecile Manorohanta resigned following the bloodshed of February 7th, when opposition protesters led by Andry TGV Rajoelina attempted to march on a Presidential palace, and were fired upon by the Presidential Guard.

There were reports that Vice-Admiral Mamy Ranaivoniarivo resigned under duress, as some mutinous soldiers held him prisoner, then made him write a letter which he read during a press conference.  The BBC reports:

“He read out a brief letter of resignation to reporters, but later suggested he may have been under pressure to leave his post.
“Perhaps I resigned under threat. I do not like it that Malagasy people are killing each other,” he said.”

Jentilisa comments on the resignation :

“Nandritra ny tontolo maraina izy no nohidiana birao, sady nohidiana rahateo vavahady fidirana ao amin'ny minisitera tsy nahafahany mivoaka. Efa karazana “gadra” izy izany raha tsy “takalon'aina”. Mampalahelo ny mahita fa ny ambany grady indray no mibaiko ny manamboninahitra jeneraly, ary nisy aza ny nandrahona azy, ka teo anatrehan'ny mpanao gazety no nanatanterahana izany fandrahonana izany indray (ankoatra izay tany amin'ny birao any). Maty hasina ny sata repoblikana, mitamberina an-tsaina ihany koa ny fanaon'ny mpampihorohoro any amin'ireny sarimihetsika ireny.”

After this resignation, the Army Chief issued an ultimatum:

“We implore all political players, civil society organisations and other parties to reunite immediately to find a solution within the next 72 hours to help the nation out of the current crisis,” said Gen Rasolomahandry.”

And today the mutiny leader, Colonel Ndrianarijaona, has seized control of the army.

“Col. Andre Ndrianarijaona told reporters Wednesday the army's chief of staff had agreed to hand over his post to him.

Ndrianarijaona said Gen. Edmond Rasolomahandry had agreed to the change after less than an hour of discussion at the army chief's offices. Rasolomahandry left without comment.

There was no immediate comment from President Marc Ravalomanana, who appointed Rasolomahandry last month.

Ndrianarijaona leads a group of soldiers who announced over the weekend they would no longer take orders from the president. Ndrianarijaona said Wednesday the army was united behind him.”

Soldiers were seen blocking streets, and twitterers reported rumors of Pro-TGV supporters going to invade ministries. The saddest part was the sight of Malagasy civilians fighting each other in the streets, fifteen were reportedly injured. Pakysse posts pictures.

More than ever, Malagasy bloggers are worried about the turn of events.

Tahina worries that civil war is looming, if it isn't here already:

“It’s no more safe to talk politics in a public area (buses included) because you don’t know who’s listening to you and on which side this one is. A simple rumour about you can harm you or your relatives. While I’m writing this post lootings are keeping up, SFOI Tanjombato is now among the victims.
Some friends and I talked to a foreigner who’s been in Madagascar for about 8 years now and raised the term “Civil War”. He said that Malagasy people are too peaceful and it’s hard to think of such a thing here. I do hope he’s right.”

Rado reports with pictures on yesterday's events.

On Malagasy Miray, a post fumes at what Malagasies are doing to their country:

“Voalaza mantsy fa hendry ramalagasy, voalaza fa mandala ny fihavanana sy ny firaisan-kina.   Kanefa inona ny nitranga? Ny andaniny mitady an’i Andry Rajoelina any amin’ny masoivoho frantsay, ny ankilany hanenjika ny PDS Guy Rivo eny Ampasapito sy ny manodidina rehefa tsy nahazo ny zanany teny Ambatobe tao amin’ny sekoly frantsay. Ny miaramila mihoko sy mitokona tsy handray baiko intsony fa hanao “V” amin’ny ratsan-tànana.   Ny mpandroba maneho eo anoloan’ny fianakaviambe iraisam-pirenena fa mahantra sy noana ka solosaina sy fahitalavitra no angalarina. Maratra, voa mafy misy koa ny maty. Haringana ve ny firenena? Hahetry ve ny toe-tsaina malagasy sy ireo soa toavina nolalain’ny razana?Inona re ity nataonao raMalagasy ô?! Mahamenatra sy marary toy ny tongo-bakivaky.”

Jentilisa tried to take some distance from the current crisis and asks if things are not larger than a Ravalomanana vs Rajoelina fight. What are we relinquishing here? Why are the soldiers mutining? He looks at history and sees parallels with the Merina army's disengagement during the Malagasy-French war of 1885, at the end of which the Malagasy were defeated, and Madagascar became a protectorate, then a colony.

“Toa tsy niraharaha ny ady loatra ny mpitari-tafika Malagasy, indrindra fa tamin’ireo Jeneraly efa nananan’ny Malagasy ihany koa. Teo Andriba ihany no mba nisy karazana ady mafana teo amin’ny Malagasy, fa ny ankoatra izany dia tena tsy nisy na inona na inona nataon’ireo tafika mihitsy. Inona no antony? Ela nitondrana loatra manko ny praiminisitra Rainilaiarivony ka efa bebe ihany ireo tsy tia azy. Ny andaniny efa mpankasitraka ny Frantsay koa faly kokoa mahita an’i Rainilaiarivony fa jamba teo amin’ny fijerena ny hoe ho lasan’ny Frantsay anie i Madagasikara fa sombintsombiny ihany no omeny anao izay faly tsy mahita fa ny fiandrianam-pirenena Malagasy no rava fa tsy hoe Rainilaiarivony ihany no miongana”.

Tomavana also finds lessons in history and the role that the army should play :

“As the days pass, the list of deaths related to clashes in Madagascar continues to lengthen. In Geneva also the army formerly fired at demonstrators. The difference is that the people of Geneva has learned their lessons from history: the army is not trained to maintain public order, the army is shaped to defend a territory in the war.”

Meanwhile the opposition leader Andry TGV was reported to be under UN protection by the UN envoy, but then the UN Headquarters denied the information and said that Andry TGV was under French protection, then French Embassy officials said that Andry TGV was now in the hands of the Catholic church, but other reports say he is in an unspecified location for his own security. But now apparently he is back safe and sound in his house in Ambatobe, protected by mutineers, and is refusing to participate in the national talks that the United Nations and Western powers insisted to keep him safe and sound for !

The presidentially-appointed new mayor of Antananarivo has lost his home in burnings and lootings by a mob of TGV supporters. And Ravalomanana was said to be blocked by the army from accessing the presidential plane, allegedly to flee the country. The French Embassy saw Ravalomanana supporters protesting French meddling into Malagasy affairs.

Solofo wonders if the UN and France's protection of Andry means they are now supporting coups:

“Ainsi Andry s'est fait exfiltré à la Résidence de l'Ambassadeur de France et ceci sous la ‘protection' de l'ONU; du jamais vu dans la gestion des différents crises politiques dans le monde d'autant plus que l'ONU et les autres organisations internationales comme l'OUA ont toujours prôné pour le respect des Institutions comme principe de base.

Est-ce un signal officiel de soutien à l'insurrection et au Coup d'état en cours à Madagascar par l'ONU?…Cette ‘protection' ne constitue pas un support officiel au Coup d'état mais un moyen de pousser tout le monde à s'entendre pour esquisser ensemble une ‘cohabitation' à tous les étages (au gouvernement, au Sénat et dans des instances de contrôle ad-hoc qui seront créés pour prendre en compte les révendications de l'Opposition), et ceci tout en respectant la Constitution et les échéances éléctorales.”

Solofo also regrets that Ravalomanana, who has publicly apologized for the mistakes he made during his seven years as president, has taken so long to recognize his wrongs:

” Cette solution a été et reste la seule voie raisonnable et bénéfique pour le pays d'autant plus qu'apparemment Ravalomanana a finalement décidé de faire son auto-critique en public aujourd'hui. Bien entendu, il faut le voir en action dans les jours et mois à venir mais je trouve dommage qu'il ait mis tant de temps avant de muer. “

Jentilisa reacts strongly at the news that the French Embassy was harbored by the French Embassy :

“Raha niainga ny mpiaro ny ara-dalàna teny Mahamasina dia ny hitaky ny hanalana an'i Andry TGV any amin'ny Ambasady Frantsay no antony, sy ny tsy hitsabahan'i Frantsa amin'ny raharahan-tokantranon'i Madagasikara. Mampihomehy indrindra manko raha olona “nialokaloka” teo alohaloha teo no afaka mandehandeha soa aman-tsara eto Madagasikara, afaka mikabary amin'ny famoriana olona eto Madagasikara, nefa mody any amin'ny masoivoho Frantsay rehefa avy eo. Tsy nitsipaka ny vaovao rahateo moa ny fitondrana Frantsay fa dia nilaza ny hanalana azy fotsiny avy eo. Dia io fa feno miaramila mpioko io manodidina ny tranony eny Ambatobe amin'izao fotoana izao.”

“When legalists left the meeting in Mahamasina, it was to demand Andry TGV's removal from the French Embassy and for France to stop meddling in Malagasy affairs. It is ridiculous if a “protected” person can now move freely here in Madagascar, make speeches, then go home safely to the French Embassy. The French government did not refute the news, but simply said that TGV was not in French compounds anymore. Now there are mutined soldiers all around his house in Ambatobe.”

Eight months ago, Ravalomanana had rejected Gildas Le Lidec's appointment as French ambassador. He thought he was “bad luck”, due to his propensity to be present in African countries where coups and assassinations happen…

Additionally, the media wars have gotten so contentious that every single news items produced by local media is now questioned by many Malagasy citizens, all too weary of the risk of misinformation.

However, a few op-ed articles seeking to understand the roots of the crisis between President Marc Ravalomanana and the former mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, have struck a chord in the national psyche and were shared extensively within the Malagasy blogosphere.

On the heels of the media

Instances of contradicting information and confusion in mainstream media in Madagascar have been abundant within the past week:

• Reports on March 7th of Viva Radio station headquarters being attacked yet still broadcasting the day after (pro-Rajoelina Viva offices were in fact broken into by armed forces but not seized).

• Reports on March 8th of army mutiny echoed in the international media but still more or less denied by the head of the armed forces (EMMO-NAT).

• Reports of threats towards opposition leaders and of a hidden safety location for Rajoelina that turned out to be a residence under the protection of UN officials. The latest report states that Rajoelina is now residing at the French Embassy because the UN as mediator could not keep him.

• Reports of severe repression by armed forces (followed by removal of online video evidence ) in turn followed by reports of marked absence of the aforementioned armed forces that allowed for further looting to occur on March 9th (fr).

• Reports of hijacking of radio air waves frequency (mg).

• Reports of foreign mercenaries directing Malagasy soldiers (fr) that allegedly turned out to be mere instructors of newly acquired weaponry (mg)

In summary, the situation is a much tangled web that requires further digging into the Malagasy collective psyche.

Patrols in the streets (http://ariniaina.wordpress.com)

The psyche of a nation challenged

Enter Ndimby A.'s editorial in the Madagascar Tribune daily newspaper entitled: “Auto-derision” (fr) or “Self-depreciation”:

In his piece, Ndimby strives to expose the very nature of the Malagasy collective culture that allows for repeated cycle of political instability throughout Malagasy history and chronic bouts with extreme poverty. He lists several reasons, some are highlighted below (fr):

Le complexe de l’insulaire:
Nous nous sentons intelligents. Nous nous sentons doués. Et la pauvreté ou les crises politiques ne peuvent donc qu’être des accidents de parcours. De la faute des bailleurs de fonds, de la faute des politiciens, de la faute des réseaux mafieux, de la faute à pas de chance, de la faute au voisin, de la faute aux grandes puissances, de la faute aux cyclones, de la faute au karma, de la faute des autres. Mais, ne faisons-nous pas partie des autres ?

Le malgache et le développement:
Le malgache est-il fait pour le développement? Le malgache est-il fait pour la démocratie? A priori ces deux questions peuvent sembler être provocatrices, voire choquantes. En fait, elles le sont. Mais au-delà de la provocation, le contexte de cette crise politique et la situation de notre pays après 50 ans d’Indépendance invitent à une véritable réflexion sur la mentalité malgache, sur nos valeurs et sur nos défauts.
Dictons, proverbes et autres expressions usuelles sont une bonne illustration de la mentalité populaire. Or que dit-on à Madagascar? Ny hazo avo halan-drivotra (le vent a horreur des arbres trop hauts), véritable hymne à la médiocrité pour appeler chacun à ne pas se faire remarquer et à ne surtout pas faire de zèle.

… la culture Malgache est une culture de marimaritra iraisana, qui ne signifie pas toujours consensus (ce qui aurait été une bonne chose), mais plutôt compromis. Dans le pire des cas, le marimaritra iraisana est le mauvais arrangement. C’est la compromission qui a fait tout le monde courber l’échine devant les abus de Marc Ravalomanana depuis 2002, pour éviter les « problèmes ». [..] C’est la compromission qui a fait que tout le monde, au début, a trouvé son compte dans les agissements de Andry Rajoelina, avant de s’effarer de ce train à grande vitesse sans frein ni marche arrière.

Bloggers take stock

Ndimby's tirade is echoed by a few bloggers on both sides of the conflicts, who are weary of the lack of leadership and the confusion.

Jentilisa writes (in absentia) about the latest events leading up to a pro-governmental rally attended by about 1,000 people in Mahamasina today (mg):

Koa satria tsy handray andraikitra ny mpitandro ny filaminana amin'izao fandrobana mahatsiravina, 26 janoary 2009-bis notontosaina androany 9 martsa 2009 izao, dia niantso ny mpanohana ny ara-dalàna sy tsy manaiky ny hisian'ny barazy arahina fandrobana ny tao amin'ny radio mada

At the other hand of the spectrum, Avylavitra calls out the government for stealing the air waves frequency of Viva Radio (mg):

Tsy nampoizina anefa ny zava-misy fa hay ny RADIO MADA no io henion’ny rehetra amin’ny onjam-peon’ny Viva io… Filana ady ve sa fihantsiana no anton’izany?

Others, like Tahina, are wondering whether talks of the conflict escalating to civil war are now justified:

It’s no longer safe to talk politics in public areas (buses included) because you don’t know who’s listening to you and on which side they are. A simple rumour about you can harm you or your relatives.

Blogger Pakysse has one simple request for the two rivals (mg): that they should talk to each other.

Since the first meeting between President Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina more than a week ago, hopes for a swift resolution are fading as disagreements over the terms of the negotiations have led to a call for a national strike of undetermined length.

Riot police patrol Antananarivo (photo courtesy of Avylavitra)

XinHua and Gabonews report that on March 2nd, the day following the call for a strike, only a small, timid minority (fr) participated. However, opposition was excepted to take a harder stance following the collapse of the negotiations, as Courrier International explains (fr).

Malagasy website Topmada reports that in his public speech at 9 am on March 3rd, Rajoelina asked his supporters to take note of the companies that did not follow his call for strike (fr):

Rajoelina said:

“On connaîtra à partir de demain (mercredi) les sociétés et entreprises qui roulent pour Ravalomanana”

On March 3rd, Radio Antsiva, one of the few national radio stations, annouced that it would stop broadcasting for at least 24 hours, stirring fears of new violence. The following day, bloggers also reported that the national public radio (RNM) went silent for a few hours. Many bloggers also reported a massive military presence in Downtown Antananarivo.

The violence on March 4th spread out throughout the city, so bloggers reported the unrest on Twitter and Facebook as events unfolded in their respective neighborhoods. Corroborating reports were then matched up on the Ushahidi mash-up map for Madagascar for verification. Below are the reports for March 4th in Antananarivo:

Ushahidi reports in Madagascar (March 4th)

Some of the comments on the Malagasy blogosphere/twittersphere were quite telling of the extent of the unrest.

Thierry Ratsizehena wrote via Facebook Mobile (fr):

j'ai un mal de tete horrible apres avoir inhale une partie de la fumee des grenades lacrymogenes en milieu de journee

Andry Rarivoson adds (fr):

ils ont voulu balancer une voiture sur les militaires. en ce moment, les gens sont en train de prendre les pieces de la voiture abandonnée

Re_hita tweets and took photos of the unrest in Behoririka, district of Antananarivo (fr):

pas moyen de rentrer à la maison behoririka est un champ de bataille

He adds (mg):

nisy mpianatra nendahana ka niboridana tanteraka tao ceg antanimena s/radio don bosco

Tahina was in Ampefiloha, another district, when he posted:

Gun shots heard at ampefiloha but I don’t know where they come from

Arinaiana posted early in the morning what many felt by the end of the day:

I feel like in a war movie. I can't believe it's real. I am damn terrified.

negotiation

(photo credit Avylavitra)

Since February 7th, when the political violence that began in late January culminated in the deaths of at least 30 Malagasies from armed forces' fire,  Madgascar has been burdened by a tense political standoff.  For the past two weeks,  multiple foreign diplomatic delegations have tried to mediate a resolution between President Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina, head of the High Authority for Transition. Despite several attempts at mediation,  the two rivals never met face-to-face as preconditions to meeting could not be agreed upon.

On Februrary 19th, Rajoelina urged his supporters to seize a few ministry offices and install the ministers he designated for the transitonal government. After the opposition delegation succeeded at entering the governmental buildings, armed forces retook control of the buildings at night. Ethan Zuckerman wrote a summary and provided a comprehensive context of this peculiar chain of events.

After vowing to do whatever it takes to bring democracy and remove the current administration, Rajoelina surprised many by finally agreeing to meet with Ravalomanana on neutral ground, namely the offices of the  the ecumenical church council of Madagascar (FFKM).

The meeting resulted in a five-point document (mg) in which both parties agreed to suspend harsh rhetoric, public protests, and political arrests, and to further negotiations. Radio France International (RFI) has reported the possibility a new transitional prime minister will be created.

Public opinion to the latest string of events varied. The long-lasting political standoff seems to have effectively divided the country into three camps: two supporting each of the political rivals and a third, which seems to support the pre-crisis status quo.

Arinaina recalls  the overtaking and reclaiming of the ministry offices:

Andry Rajoelina threatened the armed forces that their wives would be at the front line of the protests, were they to dare shooting at the people. On Thursday, TGV leaders proudly announced that 4 ministries were taken: Ministry of Education - Ministry of Interior - Ministry of Homeland Security - Ministry of decentralization. Early on Friday morning, bad news for the protesters with TGV. The news on RNM (the national radio) announced that, the night before, military forces came to the ministers and arrested the TGV agents who stayed there to keep the ministries. Those arrested were kept at the HQ of Betongolo. On Friday, angry or disappointed (I do not know), Andry Rajoelina announced the meeting at the Place du 13 Mai that the protesters will march on to keep fighting on Saturday

protest

(photo credit Avylavitra)

Jentilisa outlines the lesson learned from that eventful day when put  in a historical perspective (mg):

Hita manko fa tena fihatsarambelatsihy sy fombafomba fotsiny no nataon’ny tafika teo fa tsy zavatra hafa mihitsy. [..]
Indroa (intelo akory aza) manko izay no efa nisy fihetsika toy ireny teto Madagasikara fa tamin’ny vanim-potoana samihafa ihany koa.

Gazetyavylavitra sums up the feeling that the crisis has been going for a while now (mg):

Be  izay andro very izay. Samy milaza sy manao izay tiany hatao na ny andaniny na ny ankilany. Mbola betsaka ny olona manaraka ny hetsika eny amin’ny 13 mai. Nefa koa tsy vitsy ny mpitazana no efa manomboka maneho hevitra eny an-tsisiny eny.

Aiky, blogging at Malagasy Miray, just wants to talk about something other than the crisis for once after giving his point of view in two previous posts (fr):

Lors qu’on recherche des articles sur Madagascar, on ne parle plus que de politique et de crise sur le web. Payons nous le luxe de parler d’autres choses dans Malagasy Miray