Global Voices » Malagasy

Madagascar: Teachers Strike over Stipends Repressed by Armed Forces

Lova Rakotomalala — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:50:53 +0000

The teachers association in Madagascar has been on strike for a week [fr] over disagreement regarding their monthly wages. The protests have been repressed by tear gas launched by the armed forces [fr]. Students have also joined in the protests [mg] (via Jentilisa's photoblog).

Madagascar: What Next, After Former President Is Denied Entry?

Mialy Andriamananjara — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:30:07 +0000

Former President Marc Ravalomanana attempted for the second time to return to Madagascar last Saturday 21 January, 2012. Malagasy citizens anxiously witnessed his attempt at returning home after three years in exile. But as reported by Niren Tolsi in the Mail and Guardian:

Ravalomanana's attempt to set foot on Malagasy soil was thwarted an hour before it was due to happen. According to the airline's security chief, the pilot had been informed by ground control at Ivato International Airport that it had been closed due to “security concerns”.

News filtering through suggested that large crowds — estimated between 20 000 and 30 000 — had gathered at Ivato in expectation of Ravalomanana. No one would say who had given the order to close the airport down, but Ravalomanana's aides suggested that it must have been an executive order from someone in the government of Andry Rajoelina (who had deposed Ravalomanana's democratically elected government in a 2009 coup).

Video of the attempted return uploaded by Jentilisa to YouTube on January 21:

Citoyenne Malgache, a local blogger reports emotionally on the bitter sweet feelings of his supporters [fr, mg] who came in great numbers to welcome him:

Et aujourd’hui quand tu es rentré chez toi le cœur triste de ne pas avoir retrouvé celui que tu es venu accueillir, tu te consoles : nous sommes venus nombreux, c’est notre victoire. Tu t’encourages : Andrasanay na amin’ny valo alina aza… Et tu sais que tu reviendras encore au prochain appel.
que deviendras-tu si tu te sens vaincu ? Tu n’es peut-être pas LE peuple mais tu en fais partie, et on n’a pas le droit de t’ignorer. Mais n’oublie pas que personne ne prendra soin de toi, sauf toi-même. Des gens se moqueront de toi : tsy ho avy eo izany ny dadanareo… Pour d’autres, tu n’es qu’objet d’analyse et de reportage. Certains se serviront sûrement de toi. Mais défends ton choix et assume le reste.

And today, you went back home with a heavy heart, you have not met who you came to welcome, but you [can] console yourself: we came numerous, that is our victory. You get courage: We will wait until 8 pm… And you know you will come back at the next call. What will you become if you feel vanquished? You may not be THE people, but you are part of it, and there is no right to ignore you. But do not forget that nobody will take care of you. Some will laugh at you : your father will not come… For others, you are a subject of analysis and reporting. Others will use you. But defend your choice and accept the rest.

Malagasy crowd at Ivato airport on January 21. Image by Jentilisa, used with permission.

Apparent dissent amongst Rajoelina's transitional government was pointed out by bloggers, as the Prime Minister and the Minister of Communications openly contradicted themselves regarding who issued the NOTAMs ('Notices to Airmen'), the government or Rajoelina himself, or even if NOTAMs were issued, and whether Ravalomanana was going to be arrested, or not.

Prime Minister Omer Beriziky, a moderate politician, as interviewed on RFI [fr]:

Je peux vous assurer que le gouvernement, à aucun moment, n’avait donné l’ordre de fermer les aéroports à Madagascar. Le retour de l’ex-président était possible. Cependant, j’aurais souhaité que le retour de Marc Ravalomanana se fasse dans d’autres conditions. Je pensais qu’il était possible d’arriver à une solution consensuelle, c’est-à-dire que toutes les parties prenantes de la feuille de route puissent trouver ensemble une manière consensuelle de faire revenir le président dans sa patrie.

I can assure you that the government never ordered the closure of the airports in Madagascar. The return of the former president was possible. However, I would have preferred that he returns under different conditions. I thought it would be possible to come to a consensus, that all protagonists of the roadmap could find together a consensual way to return the president to his home country.

Crowd facing police forces in Madagascar by Mamysou. Used with permission.

The transitional government did not have a coherent strategy to deal with the crisis, as summarized by VANF on his weekly column for Express de Madagascar [fr]:

Le ministre de la Défense dit s'en tenir au maintien de l'ordre, le chef de l'état-major mixte opérationnel (EMMO-Reg) d'Analamanga prétend appliquer un mandat d'arrêt contre Marc Ravalomanana, la ministre de la Justice préfère ne pas en rajouter, le Premier Ministre aurait assuré Marc Ravalomanana qu'il ne voyait aucun inconvénient à son retour à Madagascar.

The Defence Minister said he would ensure that order be maintained, the Chief of the Army in Analamanga pretends to use a warrant arrest against Ravalomanana, the Justice Minister stays mum [quiet], the Prime Minister would have assured Marc Ravalomanana that he saw no argument against his return to Madagascar.

Incredibly, the Minister of Communications, Rolly Mercia, denied that NOTAMs were ever issued [fr], despite evidence to the contrary. VANF adds [fr]:

Alors qu’il se répandait en interviews sur les médias pour déclarer qu’il n’y avait jamais eu de NOTAM, les copies des cinq NOTAM ordonnés par le P.T. lui- même étaient affichées sur le site internet de l’ASECNA, et partagées sur Twitter et Facebook. Grotesque ! Que faut-il en conclure : incohérence, incompétence ou stalinisme chronique ?

While he went from interview to interview in the media to declare that there never were any NOTAMs, copies of the five NOTAMs ordered by the president himself were posted on the ASECNA website, shared on Twitter and Facebook. Ridiculous! What should one conclude: incoherence, incompetence or chronic stanilism?

On Twitter, some users deny that Madagascar skies were completely closed, and suggest that Ravalomanana's plane would have been able to land at Morondava airport, nevertheless where there was no welcoming crowd, and the president would have been easily apprehended:

@hdleague: Alors, il est incorrecte de dire que R8 était interdit de revenir à Mada. Il était permit d'aterrir à Morondava pour être arrêter. #M21112

@hdleague: It is incorrect to state that Ravalomanana was prohibited to return to Madagascar. He was permitted to land in Morondava to be arrested. #M21112

On ‘Madagate', Jeannot Ramambazafy [fr] acknowledges Ravalomanana's right to enter Madagascar, but also defends Malagasy rights to judge Ravalomanana, who was condemned for allegedly ordering his presidential guard to fire on demonstrators in February 2009:

Ainsi, s'il a été demandé au pilote -qui a refusé- d'aller atterrir à Morondava, c'était pour mettre en application cette note et pour sécuriser l'intégrité physique même de Marc Ravalomanana qui a, bien sûr, le droit de rentrer, mais… Au nom de l'indépendance de la Justice malgache, le mandat d'arrêt émis à l'encontre de Ravalomanana, depuis 2009, sera exécuté.

The reason why the pilot - who refused - was asked to land in Morondava was to apply the law and to ensure the physical security of Marc Ravalomanana, who evidently, has the right to return, but… in the name of the independence of Malagasy justice, the arrest warrant issued against Ravalomanana since 2009, will be used.

Marc Harmelle [fr], a commenter on Fijery blog, expresses doubts on Ravalomanana's motives:

je m’interroge ce soir quand a ses motivations de convoquer une telle foule ; est ce pour avoir un bouclier humain ou est ce par pure folie des grandeurs souci d’etre acclamé , ovationné par un peuple misérable ? La première solution est dégueulasse et lâche , la seconde démontre que ces 3 ans ne l’ont pas mûris *Dernièrement a mon sens rentrer discrètement en se remettant entre les mains de la justice aurait été judicieux ; il était impossible de lui refuser ce retour , impossible de le malmener et je gage qu’il n’aurait au pire fait que quelques jours de geôle ; la pression internationale et nationale aurait pu pleinement s’exercer et quelle aura politique !!!

I wonder tonight what his motivations were to call such a crowd; was it to get himself a human shield or pure delusions of greatness, to receive an ovation from miserable people? The first hypothesis is disgusting and cowardly, the second would demonstrate that three years have not matured him. In my opinion, coming home discreetly and putting himself in the hands of justice would have been judicious; it would be impossible to refuse him this return, impossible to torture him, and I bet he would have only spent a few days in jail, in the worst case; the international and national pressure would have applied and what a political aura it would have lent him!!!

Rovahiga's post title ‘Rajoelina marque contre son camp' (Rajoelina shoots himself in the foot) suggests that Ravalomanana's entry denial was a loss for Rajoelina's camp.

The US Embassy, which has been actively following the events on Twitter, disavowed a CNN reporting story that hinted that the US did not agree with Ravalomanana's return:

@USMadagascar: US regrets the circulation of a story by CNN that incorrectly reflects our official position on the return of Ravalomanana to #Madagascar

Fijery [fr] doubts of any real repercussions after Saturday's debacle, especially coming from the international community, which has failed to advance the concrete applications of the roadmap to bring peace to Madagascar:

ce retour en plein ciel à quelques miles d’Antananarivo devant des journalistes internationaux ridiculise, si besoin était encore, un régime hâtif marqué par l’amateurisme. […] En parallèle, cette décision montre à la Communauté internationale à quel point Andry Rajoelina et la clique qui l’entoure sont peu désireux de réconciliation et d’apaisement. Ceci étant dit, je ne crois pas que cela aura beaucoup d’impact. Quand on a vu avec quel empressement l’ambassadeur de l’ Union européenne et le Coordonateur des Nations unies sont allés se défroquer devant Monsieur Rajoelina, sans tenir compte des violations de la démocratie et des droits de l’homme, on peut se dire raisonnablement que ce n’est pas un dérapage de plus qui va émouvoir la communauté internationale, prête à gober les couleuvres hâtives.

The inflight U-turn a few miles from Antananarivo in front of international journalists ridicules, if more ridicule were needed, a transitional government marked by amateurism. […] This decision demonstrates to the international community how little Andry Rajoelina and his clique actually want reconciliation and appeasement. This said, I do not think this last event will have much impact. When we saw how eagerly the European Ambassador and the United Nations coordinator renounced themselves in front of Mr Rajoelina, without holding into account the many violations of democracy and human rights, we can reasonably say that another derailment will fail to move the international community, ready to swallow any dubious HAT lies.

Since Saturday, Malagasy protagonists have been urgently summoned in Johannesburg [fr] today to meet with the SADC (Southern African Development Community). Madagascar's transitional Prime Minister, Omer Beriziky, has been reported as attending.

Madagascar: Population Grows Tired of Power Outage

Lova Rakotomalala — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:37:51 +0000

For the past week, Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar, has experienced scheduled daily power outages [fr] that lasted on average 2h and 30 minutes in the evening and it seems that it could get worse [fr]. Several bloggers have expressed [fr] increased frustration [mg] with the ongoing situation that was also reflected on many twitter updates.

Madagascar: New Prime Minister Omer Beriziky Arrival Tweeted Live

Lova Rakotomalala — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:20:25 +0000

Twitter users in Madagascar followed the announcement of the new prime minister and reported it live. Avylavitra wrote succintly [mg] : “Omer Beriziky is the new PM in #Madagascar.”

Poetry Slam Activism in Francophone Africa

Lova Rakotomalala — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:39:04 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.

In the past 10 months social movements have sprung around the world at an impressive pace. It all started with an act of despair in the town of Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, and has now spread across 87 countries and 951 cities around the world according to the organizers of the United for #GlobalChange (October 15) Movement.

Demonstrating outside institutions is one way of expressing a desire for change in a society. However, other forms of activism have existed for a while now and are now rekindled all around the world as a show of protest against the status-quo. Poetry slam is a well-known channel of expression for many activists in North America but the rest of the world has now embraced this unique blend of poetry and rhythmic oral story telling.

Many have found it difficult at times to relate to a form of expression that is often wrongly perceived as limited to the urban youth of North America. Poetry slam is however now firmly entrenched in the culture of many countries, especially in Africa because it incorporates the African tradition of oral story telling. Here are a few examples of poetry slam across the African continent and the context in which they were expressed.

The Arab revolution

King Bobo on UniversalSlam wrote a tribute to the youth of Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Libya entitled ‘Liberté chérie j’écris ton nom‘ ( Beloved freedom, I write thy name) [fr]:

Liberté chérie j’écris ton nom
Ecoutez ce vent de liberté qui souffle dans toutes les langues
La jeunesse tunisienne s’exprime sur les murs
Avec des slogans tracés à la peinture
Liberté, liberté, liberté
La jeunesse égyptienne grave sur les sépultures
Des hiéroglyphes modernes inscrits pour le futur
La jeunesse syrienne ne voit que des balles perdues
Qui ricochent un peu partout et qui tracent sur les murs
Les poètes libyens de Benghazi murmurent
Des poèmes satiriques comme des caricatures

Beloved Freedom, I write thy name
Listen to the wind of liberty that blows in all languages
Tunisian youth write on the walls
With slogans drawn as paintings
Freedom, freedom, freedom
Egyptian youth etch on the graves
Modern hieroglyphics inscribed for the future
Syrian youth only see stray bullets
That ricochet around and leave marks on the walls
Libyan poets in Benghazi murmur
Satirical poems as caricatures

Algeria

Fodil Belhadj, an Algerian author, poet and blogger on Regards Africains (African eyes) [fr], slams about the promise of Algeria's independence [fr] and makes an analogy with his own story and his exile from his homeland [fr]

Fodil Belhadj also posts on his blog an open letter to the Algerian army [fr] :

.. Cela s’appelle l’autodétermination Chère Armée Algérienne. L’aurais-tu par je ne sais quel crime oublié ? Ah oui j’avais oublié que les Algériens s’étaient « trompés » en mandatant 188 députés du Front islamique du salut. Oui c’est vrai z’avaient qu’à pas voter pour de méchants islamistes, alors que toi tu es tellement, tellement sympathique. Chère Armée Algérienne. C’est tout ce que tu as trouvé comme argument spécieux, s’il en est, pour écraser ton propre peuple et rassurer « ta » communauté internationale…!
Sache donc grande muette puisque tu feins de ne point le comprendre, et à défaut de l’admettre, que démocratie signifie : Se soumettre au verdict des urnes.

.. it's called self-determination, my dear Algerian army. How could you possibly forget? That's right, I forgot that Algerian “made a mistake” by voting for 188 MPs [Members of Parliament] of the Islamic Front (FIS). It's true that they should not have voted for the bad, mean Islamists and that you are so much more sympathetic. My dear Algerian army. Is that all the argument you have left to keep oppressing your people and reassure “your” international community.. ?
You ought to know, oh great silent one [nickname given to the army in many francophone nations], even if you pretend not to get it, that democracy means accepting the verdict of the voting poll

Republic of Congo

Abd al Malik is a well-known singer and poet who grew up in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. Socially and politically engaged, most notably on the perception of Islam in France, he created with other artists the group ‘New African Poets' (NAP) [fr]. In his poem, ‘Soldat de plomb' (Toy soldier), Malik describes the struggle of a disaffected youth trying to fit in:

Soldat de plomb, soldat de plomb
Bien sûr qu'un sourire nous aurait fait plaisir,
Juste un peu d'attention et peut-être ça aurait été autrement.
Nous aurions été des enfants normaux et pas des enfants soldats,

Toy soldier, toy soldier
Of course a smile would have been nice,
A little bit of attention and maybe things have gone differently
We could have been normal children instead of child soldiers

Morocco

In Morocco, the independent news portal Mamfakinch described how the February 20 movement voiced their desire for change a few months ago in a different manner [fr]:

Nous sommes jeunes, nous sommes capables d’innovation ! Pour ne pas tomber dans la banalisation de nos formes de protestation, et au vu de l’essoufflement que peuvent ressentir nos concitoyens et principalement les jeunes par les sit-in répétitifs, la coordination de Rabat des jeunes du 20 févier a décidé de diversifier ses formes des contestations.
C’est dans cet esprit nous avons choisi, après un long débat, de faire un Flash-mob: Plus précisément, un Freeze ( on explique plus bas le principe) et un petit concert de musique et poèmes contestataires.

We are young and we are capable of innovating! For the protests not to grow stale, and since we've seen citizen movement, especially the youngsters grow tired by the repeated sit-ins, the coordination committee decided to diversify its way of protesting.
After a lengthy debate, we chose to do a flash-mob, more precisely a freeze, a small concert and some activist poetry.

Here is a video of part of the protest:

Madagascar

Some may argue that the original seeds of peotry slam were sowed in Madagascar. Malagasy culture has always incorporated Hainteny (Malagasy for “knowledge of words”), a traditional form of Malagasy oral literature and poetry involving heavy use of metaphor.

Kabary is the the spoken public discourse of the Hainteny and the earlier form of Kabary dates back to the 18th century. Kabary are often used during social gathering such as engagement parties or wedding where the speaker for each family would engage in verbal jousting. Usually declined by men, here is a rare instance of a Kabary spoken by Malagasy women [mg]:

Mauritius

Poetry slam has also taken a foothold on the island of Mauritius. Stefan Hart de Keating also known as StefH2K is one of the pioneer of poetry slam in the Indian Ocean. StefH2K explains that the presence during the slam is just as important as the quality of the text.

Fictif discusses the identity crisis that the Asian minority can sometimes feel in Mauritius [fr, kr]:

LE Sino-Mauricien

Aujourd’hui
Je veux slamer
Pour tous ceux
Qui comme moi en ont marre
D’être mis à l’écart
Car je ne suis pas qu’un petit Chinois
Mais un Mauricien
Comme toi… comme toi… comme toi
Oublie mon accent chinois
Ma langue maternelle, c’est le créole
Ki to ti kroir toi ? Mo pa konn koz kréol ?
Même si je regarde Jackie Chan à la télé
Ou pratique le kung-fu
Fou, hein ?
Ma danse préférée reste le séga

The Chinese-Mauritian

I want to slam
For those like me
Who are tired
Of being ostracized
Because I am not only a small Chinese guy
I am also a Mauritian
Like you, like you, like you
Forget my Chinese accent for a minute
My mother tongue is Creole
What did you think? That I cannot speak Creole?
Even if I watch Jackie Chan on TV
Or practice Kung-fu
Fooled you huh?
My favorite dance is still séga

There are many causes for which people protests in the streets or engage in political discourse. What has come to fruition is that the manner in which we do so tend to feed into one another more rapidly. Similarily, poetry slam has moved beyond borders to reach as a unique channel for self-expression and social activism. In fact, the rise of social media probably played a role in the quicker dissemination of poetry slam as a universal voice for the oppressed.

This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.

Protecting African Forests: Wangari Maathai's Legacy

Lova Rakotomalala — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:46:19 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

Wangari Maathai, a prominent Kenyan environmental and political activist and 2004 Nobel prize winner passed away on September 25, 2011. She was the first African woman to be awarded the prize and is recognized worldwide as the leading figure in the fight to protect the environment through sustainable actions on African continent. She was also part of the jury at the World Future Council Award this past week.

Wangari Maathai. Image under CC License from Wikipedia.

The council has selected Rwanda and Gambia as the winners of an award for best forest policies in 2011. The awards also highlighted the US Lacey Act amendment of 2008 which prohibits all trade in wood and plant products that are knowingly illegally sourced. The Lacey Act has already had a major impact in curbing down the illegal logging of rosewood from Madagascar's rainforests.

Other African nations have also done remarkably well in protecting their environment in the face of increasing threats from climate change.

Rwanda

Rwanda was awarded the prize for their continued effort in reversal in the trend of declining forest cover. The philosophy behind the prioritizing of reforestation is explained as follows [fr] on afrik.com:

Les experts disent que le transfert de propriété des terres et des ressources aux communautés locales est un moyen de sortir de la tragédie des biens communs, [..] Le gouvernement est actuellement en train de mettre en oeuvre une stratégie de développement économique et de réduction de la pauvreté qui considère l’inversion de la déforestation comme un facteur crucial dans la réduction de la pauvreté, et a fixé l’objectif d’augmenter la couverture forestière du pays de 30 pour cent d’ici à 2020. La couverture forestière a déjà augmenté de 37 pour cent depuis 1990.

Experts argue that the transfer of land properties and resources to local communities is an important channel to exit the tragedy of commons […] the government is currently putting in place a strategy for economic development and poverty reduction that regards reforestation as crucial factor in poverty reduction and sets as a goal to increase the forest area of the country by 30% from now to 2020. The forest cover has already increased by 37% since 1990.

Gambia

Tree in Gambia by Guillaume Colin on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

The Gambia’s Community Forest Policy is the other African nation recipient of the first Silver award. Eduardo Rojas Briales, assistant director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, explains:

The success of the Gambia's Community Forest Policy proves that even in the world's poorest countries, with the right policies and adequate legislation in place rural populations can benefit economically and significantly improve their food security. In Gambia the innovative policy included forest tenure transition from state ownership to management by local communities, which enabled them to reduce illegal logging and benefit from using the forest products.[..] Gambia has managed to buck a strong deforestation trend in Africa with over 350 villages managing twelve percent of the country’s forests, with a net increase in forest cover of 8.5 percent over the last two decades.

Madagascar

The institutional measures with the most successful impact with protecting the endangered rain forest of Madagascar can be credited to the US Lacey Act amendment of 2008 which prohibits all trade in wood and plant products that are knowingly illegally sourced.

Illegal logging of Madagascar rosewood has plagued conservation effort for several years. This trafficking has increased at an alarming rate since the political crisis of 2009, as explained previously on in these interviews and in this report.

Why is the Lacey Act effective in having an impact across borders ? Tewolde Berhan Egziabher, director general of Environmental Protection Authority in Ethiopia explains:

The strength of the Act lies in its ability to target and place responsibility on every stage of the timber supply chain. It has forced importers to take responsibility for their wood products and has already produced positive results in increasing due diligence assessments and demand for certified wood products.

This Act has also been critical in protecting the endangered species of lemurs in the the Malagasy rain forest, most notably the silky Sifaka:

Trouble in Lemur Land from Erik R Patel on Vimeo.

The Lacey Act has also indirectly created a small diplomatic incident between France and the United States, when the First Lady Michelle Obama gifted a Gibson guitar to the model/singer and France's first lady Carla Bruni [fr]. Malagasy blogger Avylavitra explains the incident [mg]:

Fa ny tena anton-dresaka eto dia ny fanomezana nomen’ny vadin’ny filoha Amerikana, Michelle Obama ho an’i Carla Bruni, vadin’ny filoha frantsay Sarkozy, nandritra ny vovonan’ny OTAN tany Strasbourg tamin’ny taona 2009. Gitara Gibson no natolony tamin’izay fotoana izay, vita avy amin’ny hazo Andramena, hazo sarobidy voarara ny famoahana azy avy aty Madagasikara,

What really got people talking was the fact that the gift that American first lady Michelle Obama gave Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni at the NATO meeting in Strasbourg, France in 2009. The Gibson guitar is made of rosewood, a type of precious wood that is protected from commercial endeavors in Madagascar.

Senegal

Protecting forests also means fighting back the desertification across the African continent due to climate change. The Green Great Wall (GGW) initiative is a transcontinental project, under the umbrella of Community of the Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) and the African Union that strives to be a multi-species vegetal belt 15 km wide that will link Dakar and Djibouti and stretch over a distance of about 7000 km.

The Sécheresse/Désertification blog explains in further detail the implications of project [fr]:

Entre 2006 et 2007, quatre mille hectares soit environ sept kilomètres d’arbres ont déjà été plantés sur le tracé sénégalais de la Grande Muraille Verte. en 2008, l’Etat plantera des arbres sur une superficie de deux mille hectares dans la région de Louga. Ces végétaux sélectionés et adaptés au territoire, seront boisés en bloc contrairement aux plantations déjà existantes qui sont cultivées de façon discontinue [..] La muraille traversera le Sénégal, la Mauritanie, le Mali, le Burkina Faso, le Niger, le Nigeria, le Soudan, l’Erythrée et finira à Djibouti [..] Le professeur Dia a annoncé que la désertification a fait perdre au Sénégal près de deux millions d’hectares de terres arables.

In 2006-07, 4000 hectares, i.e 7 kilometers of trees were planted on the Senegalese trace of the Great Green Wall. In 2008, the State will also plant 2,000 hectares in the Louga region. The selected plants are adapted to the territory and will be grown in block as opposed to the existing parsimonious vegetation [..] The Wall will cross Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Eritrea and will end in Djibouti [..] Professor Dia states that desertification has already caused the loss of 2 millions hectares of arable lands in Senegal

The legacy of Wangari Maathai will live on with all the measures taken by each African nation. Her message to the world was that we collectively need to make sure that the challenge of desertification is being met heads on and to realize that local communities must be an integral part of this challenge.

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

Madagascar: Reactions to the Road Map Agreement to End the Crisis

Lova Rakotomalala — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:04:28 +0000

The road map to end the Madagascar crisis has been signed by nearly all parties on September 16. Malagasy bloggers followed the event in real time and reacted to the implications [fr] of the agreement for the elections and the potential candidates.

African Women Striving to be Heads of State

Lova Rakotomalala — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:46:56 +0000

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf paved the way in 2006 when she was elected President of Liberia, the first African woman to reach the top level position. Since then, several other African women have decided to run for presidency, most recently in Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo and Niger. The outcomes of their campaigns have had various degrees of success so far, although not many expect them to follow in the footsteps of Johnson-Sirleaf just yet.

Yet many African countries are scheduled for elections in 2011-12 and the increase in female candidates is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for a continent that still struggles at times with fair representation of minorities in their political systems.

Clarisse Juompan-Yakam has written an in-depth article [fr] on the subject where she notes that the candidates share many similar traits: they are often highly educated, tenacious politicians who first got involved in the public debate as civil rights activists.

Niger

Juompan-Yakam writes that Mariama Bayard Gamatié, who lost in the recent Presidential elections in Niger, was unhappy with the lack of media coverage her campaign received:

Première Nigérienne à briguer la magistrature suprême, cette fonctionnaire des Nations unies attribue en partie à l’indifférence des médias sa contre-performance à la présidentielle de janvier dernier : 0,38 % des voix au premier tour, le pire score du scrutin.

First Nigerienne women to run for commander in chief, this United Nations staffer believes that her low score in the January Presidential elections (0.38% of votes, lowest of all candidates) is due to the lack of media coverage.

Gamatié views her candidacy as a stepping stone for other women in the region to follow.

Bénin

Marie-elise Gbedo, presidential candidate in Bénin. Image by Benin-diaspora.com

One of them was Marie-Élise Akouavi Gbèdo in Bénin whom Mrs Gamatié joined on the campaign trail earlier this year to show her support. Mrs Akouavi Gbèdo did not win the election but she is now Minister of Justice. She helped make polygamy unlawful in Bénin.

Madagascar

In Madagascar, the actual date for the Presidential elections is not yet set. However, Mrs Saraha Georget Rabeharisoa is one of the first to submit her candidacy. Mrs Rabeharisoa is the head of the Green Party in Madagascar. The uncertainty about the electoral calendar [fr] does not agree with her:

L’Etat a fait des dépenses faramineuses pour les membres du gouvernement qui étaient descendus sur le terrain pour sensibiliser les gens à s’inscrire dans les listes électorales… Si actuellement, on décide de ne pas procéder aux élections pour permettre aux citoyens d’exprimer leur choix, on a fait des dépenses pour rien.

The government is currently spending a great deal of money for the members of the government to ask people to register for the elections… If we finally decide not to have elections for the people to express themselves, then we would have spent the money for nothing.

Saraha Georget Rabeharisoa, head of the Green Party in Madagascar. Image by http://hasinimadagasikara.mg

The environment, evidently one of the main themes for her political party, is one of the main headlines in Madagascar because of the infamous illegal logging of rosewood from the rain forests. Mrs Rabearisoa weighs in on the scandal [mg]:

Tsy ekena ny fitrandrahana tsy manara-dalàna rehetra eto madagasikara. Mikasika ny fitrandrahana ny andramena, dia efa nanomboka ny taona 2001 no nisian’izany voalohany. Tokony hisy hatrany ny fandraisana andraikitra manoloana izany

All the illegal traffic that is going on in Madagascar is not acceptable. About the rosewood logging, it had already started back in 2001. It's high time we put measures in place to deal with this

Democratic Republic of Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angèle Makombo-Eboum is running for the presidential elections of November 2011. She explains that if a woman is good enough to run a household, she ought to be good enough to run the country [fr]. She boasts a Master of Law from the Sorbonne.

Pourquoi le Congo ne ferait-elle comme le Liberia, la Thaïlande, le Brésil ou l'Allemagne où le pouvoir d'Etat est exercé des femmes. Les femmes sont capables de changement . La vie à Kinshasa donne bien l'illustration la plus patente…Ce sont les femmes qui nourrissent les familles. Elles font étudier les enfants.

Why can't Congo go the way of Liberia, Thailand, Brazil or Germany, countries where women are at the highest level of power. Women are capable of bringing change. Life in Kinshasa is the best example of that.. It is the women who feed the families. They also make sure that the children get an education.

Cameroon

Cameroonian Édith Kah Walla believes women have to overcome higher hurdles to convince their countrymen that they are competent for the job. Owona Nguini agrees with her [fr] but he also thinks that being a woman can be an important asset:

Le fait que Mme Kah Walla soit une femme peut jouer dans les deux sens..parce que c’est la première fois qu’une femme se présente et c’est rare d’aller jusqu’au bout de la compétition électorale. Ça peut aussi être un handicap compte tenu de la prévalence d’un certain machisme politique qui fait que la grande partie de la société ne voit pas nécessairement une femme à sa tête.

That Mrs Kah Walla is a woman can work both ways… it would be a first that a woman runs and goes all the way to election day. It can also be a handicap because there is still a certain machismo in the political field that makes an important part of the society not picture a woman at the top of the nation just yet.

Madagascar: Minister of Population Ramaroson and 10 others Drown in a Boat Accident

Lova Rakotomalala — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:12:19 +0000

Minister of Population and Social Affairs Nadine Ramaroson and 10 other people died on Sunday in a boat accident near the island of Saint-Marie (North East of Madagascar) during a whale watching event. Although not always in agreement with her political stand, Blogger Aryel Elyah pays tribute to Mrs Ramaroson's work and dedication [fr].

Madagascar: Reactions to Ousted President Ravalomanana Attempting to Return

Avylavitra — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 09:07:51 +0000

Tropical storm Binziga has just hit Madagascar, having killed killed six people and leaving about 7,500 without adequate shelter. Yet the attention is focused on the return of the Ousted Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana, who issued a statement and spoke at a news conference in Johannesburg on Thursday Feb. 17, 2011. He says he will return from his exile in South Africa. Ravalomanana was forced to flee on 2009 and despite facing a life sentence in prison, has decided to return to Madagascar. His attempt at coming back on February 18th was rebuked by the air traffic authority of Madagascar who issued a persona non grata notice on the ousted president.

( Ravalomanana's reaction at press conference after being refused to board on the plane)

(thousands of people gathering at the airport to welcome the ousted president)

Here are some reactions on Twitter as news of his attempt at returning home surfaced:

[ Editor's note: it is important to note that there was a high volume of twitter updates about this subject that were not confirmed or verified as the situation is still very fluid. For instance, many users posted that Ravalomanana was already on the plane when he was still only attempting to board]

tomavana To mavana

[Coïncidence?] annonce retour Ravalomanana #Madagascar & enquête parquet Sud-Af ‘tentative de recruter des mercenaires' http://bit.ly/hP5Fzk

[Coincidence?] announcement return Ravalomanana #Madagascar & South Af' investigation prosecutors on attempt to recruit mercenaries' http://bit.ly/hP5Fzk

tomavana To mavana

'sûr et certain #Ravalomanana sera de retour à #Madagascar ce samedi 19.02′~sénatrice Naika Eliane au téléphone avec @NRakotoarson

'sure and certain #Ravalomanana will be back #Madagascar this Saturday 19.02′~senator Naika Eliane on the phone with @NRakotoarson

hery hery

[blaogy.com] Raha hody Ravalo: IZay izany no vaovao farany tamin'ity herinandro ity dia ny… http://goo.gl/fb/QXuzy

[blaogy.com] if Ravalo decide to return: the latest news of this week will be… http://goo.gl/fb/QXuzy

tananews tananews

par hery

Vidéo de la conférence de presse de Marc Ravalomanana http://www.tananews.com/?p=14799

conférence live of Marc Ravalomanana http://www.tananews.com/?p=14799

iceclubmada ICE Club Madagascar

[ICE member blog] Marc Ravalomanana will come home on Saturday: The ousted president Marc Ravalomanana did today… http://bit.ly/eDtjrB

tomavana To mavana

‘Ravalomanana return to #Madagascar is the last roll of the dice of a desperate man'~Thomas Wilson, #Africa analyst http://bit.ly/hhDYao

topmada TopMada.com

Retour Ravalomanana Conférence Live + Video sur http://www.topmada.com/ ou http://www.livestream.com/madagascardemocracy #madagascar

Ravalomanana return - Conférence Live + Video on http://www.topmada.com/ or http://www.livestream.com/madagascardemocracy #madagascar

tomavana To mavana

No ultimatum had been given to former Malagasy prez Ravalomanana to leave #SouthAfrica http://bit.ly/epZfC0 #Madagascar http://ff.im/y8vzO

GTTIntl GTT International

Le plan de retour de #Ravalomanana a #Madagascar est ficelé, wait and see

GTTIntl GTT International

Return plan tied for #Ravalomanana #Madagascar , wait and see

GTTIntl GTT International

Kung-Fu, réservistes, volontaires , militaires, la sécurité de #Ravalomanana sera assuré samedi

Kung-Fu, reservists, volunteers, military, #Ravalomanana
security will be assured next Saturday

tomavana To mavana

‘emboldened by pro- #democracy demonstrations in the world' ousted leader Ravalomanana ‘to return' to #Madagascar http://bbc.in/gZvLQ2

Ratsara Jérôme

#Wikileaks 2010-02-11 : Gompertz (..) #Madagascar was “obviously a very embarrassing subject” for France http://bit.ly/gM4ZT8

tandriamirado Thierry Andriamirado

par barijaona

Vrai, ambassade? RT @streetrover: Midi #Madagascar : l’ambassade @USMadagascar félicite la décision de Marc Ravalomanana http://ow.ly/1s3wlg ( ed's note: This information is not verified and did not appear in the posted link)

hery hery

#Madagascar Primature bloquer les pistes d'aerodromes locaux avec des futs remplis d'eau http://www.madatimes.com/images//1communication.pdf

hery hery

La primature invite ses siens à bloquer la piste d'Ivato avec des futs remplis d'eau http://www.madatimes.com/images//1communication.pdf

tomavana To mavana

Joaquim Chissano endosse la ‘feuille de route' de sortie de crise #Madagascar du Dr Leonardo Simão, au nom de la #SADC http://bit.ly/dROVNs

hery hery

Hmmm ezahina hosakanna hono ny fiaramanidina avy any Afrika atsimo amin'ny asabotsy? Ka raha tsy avy any izy no miditra loll

Hmmm, all flights from South Africa not allowed to land Saturday?. And what if he doesn't fly in from that country loll

GTTIntl GTT International

Si vous ne pouvez pas accueillir le Président #Ravalomanana, signez cette pétition http://bit.ly/f6jB2l pour le soutenir dans son action

If you cannot welcome the President Ravalomanana #, sign this online petitionhttp://bit.ly/f6jB2l to support him in his action

Sensing a need for Malagasy citizens to get involved in the democratic process, the US Embassy in Madagascar asks on twitter:

USMadagascar USEmbassy-Madagascar

How can you promote democratic change on an individual level? ahoan ny fampiroborobon n fiovana/fanovan demokratika eo @ tsi1/1?

Additional Context on the Recent Political Arrests in Madagascar

Lova Rakotomalala — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:21:57 +0000

Blogger Alain Rajaonarivony writes at length about the implications of the recent series of political arrests in Madagascar (fr). A close relative to Raymond Ranjeva and his daughter describes the circumstances of their arrest. Here is a petition to denounce the arbitrary arrests (fr).

Madagascar: A Chronology of the Failed Coup According to Tweets

Avylavitra — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:54:58 +0000

Twitter updates kept the internet abreast of the failed coup that started on the day of the referendum, November 17. Back in 2009, twitter already played an important role as a medium for real-time updates from citizens about the military takeover. Here is a quick reminder of the events in 2009 as read on twitter:

31/01/2009 Rajoelina proclaimed himself President of Madagascar

17/03/2009 Ravalomanana fled the country. He is now exiled in South Africa

@tomavana starts the Twitter chronology:

[ça peut durer] 31.01.2009 Rajoelina s’autoproclame ‘en charge’ de la République #Madagascar ▸45j plus tard, 17.03.2009 Ravalomanana part [fr]

[it can last] 01.31.2009 Rajoelina proclaim himselfs ‘in charge’ of the Republic #Madagascar ▸45 days later, 17.03.2009 Ravalomanana leaves the country

Since then, many people lost their jobs. Foreign mediators have tried to point out the issue, trying to work out an agreement between them (Zafy Albert,Rajoelina, Ratsiraka, Ravalomanana). The mutual hatreds among Rajoelina and the three former presidents have prevented any real solution and plunged the nation into a deep crisis … deals have been announced, and agreements have been broken down.

@VOAAfrica Ex-Madagascar PM Calls for Dialogue to Resolve Crisis

Tired of this long crisis, last Wednesday, Novembre 17th 2010, was supposed to be a time for ushering in a new constitution.

@roulletteplayer: During an intervention on the #Madagascar national channels, Rajoelina urge the people to go vote tomorrow #Referendum

@dadamanga Ready for the vote? :) http://fb.me/uKlGhr0e

@akamasoa: #Madagascar will vote in a long-awaited referendum on a new #constitution on Wednesday@Tantely_Ramaka: #Madagascar répondre par OUI ou par NON. Mais c’est quoi déjà la question? [fr]

@akamasoa: #Madagascar will vote in a long-awaited referendum on a new #constitution on Wednesday@Tantely_Ramaka: #Madagascar answer by YES or NO. But what was the question again?

Tomavana asks:

@tomavana 1958 1972 1975 1992 1995 1998 2007 puis 2010, le #referendum du jour sera le 8e de #Madagascar http://bit.ly/amWDh7 re: http://ff.im/tS56G

@tomavana 1958 1972 1975 1992 1995 1998 2007 then 2010, the #referendum of the day will be the 8th of #Madagascar http://bit.ly/amWDh7 re: http://ff.im/tS56G

About 8 million Malagasy were asked to vote. The opposition had called for a boycott of the voting, telling it as a way for Rajoelina to retain power a little bit longer.

@AngloMalagasy: Coup attempt ‘unsurprising as referendum is last chance 2challenge Rajoelina’s right 2power’ http://da2.me/5N

Streets in Antananarivo remained calm into the evening, but at Ivato , Lt Col. Charles Andrianasoavina with a group of dissident Malagasy soldiers declared that a military comittee “Military Committee for the People's Salvation” had taken power of Madagascar, and that “From now on, all institutions are suspended and a military committee is going to run the country.”

As the coup attempt lasted 3 days, people living in the surroundings were scared, waiting for what will happen next. There was almost no source of information.

@saveoursmile images des mutins de coup d’état à #madagascar via tvplus sur http://bit.ly/bfRbhY

@saveoursmile pictures of the coup attempt mutinies in #madagascar via tvplus at http://bit.ly/bfRbhY

@chdsandeep Madagascar: Appeal to the mutiny on the constitutional referendum: A group of officers said… http://goo.gl/fb/AFIdv

@salivates #sp Coup Attempt by Military Is Reported in Madagascar: Military officers in Madagascar, including some who had…

@tomavana 2y of constant rumors of coups & even occasional attempt RT @malagasy RT @Twtimes Coup Attempt Reported in #Madagascar http://nyti.ms/chTs1m

@CHALCHIHUITES Rebel troops claim Madagascar government suspended (AFP)

The airport is near barracks (BANI – Base Aero-Navale d’Ivato) occupied by rebels. Riot police fired teargas to disperse anti-government protesters at a burning barricade near the military camp but they did not enter the camp. Photos taken by Jentilisa:

@jentilisa #madagascar sary hafa indray! http://jentilisa.blaogy.com/post/122/7556

@jentilisa #madagascar one more pic! http://jentilisa.blaogy.com/post/122/7556

Rajoelina said that “the government will assume its responsibilities and consequently take action”. Prime Minister Camille Vital called mutineers “to respect discipline, respect institutions and show professionalism… They have tried to stage a putch… until now everything is under control … everything is normal”

@VOAAfrica: Madagascar’s Rajoelina Vows Not to Resign http://bit.ly/bzFfNC

@nbiga MADAGASCAR : Le Premier ministre déclare la situation « sous contrôle » après la … http://goo.gl/fb/th35P

@nbiga MADAGASCAR : The Prime Minister claims everything is under control after the … http://goo.gl/fb/th35P

@tomavana l’avenir nous dira si c’était qu’un pseudo-coup …déjà un succès si un des buts était d’occulter referendum constitutionnel à #Madagascar [fr]

@tomavana time will tell if it was a pseudo-coup … a success if one of the goals was to conceal constitutional referendum in #Madagascar

Meanwhile tweeters reacted to the referendum

@malagasy: When was the last time a no vote won in #Madagascar ? …Oh yeah, NEVER

@Heryr: Indice du risque terroriste selon Maplecroft, #Madagascar est dans la zone de risque faible http://goo.gl/11fhq [fr]

@Heryr: Terrorism risk index by Maplecroft, #Madagascar is in the area of low risk http://goo.gl/11fhq

@tomavana [referendum #Madagascar ] Antananarivo semble être calme selon témoignage de @falyfamalagasy @news2dago et @jentilisa http://bit.ly/96hVM9 [fr]

@tomavana [referendum #Madagascar ] Antananarivo seems to be quiet according to @falyfamalagasy @news2dago and @jentilisa http://bit.ly/96hVM9

Others kept their sense of humor

@dadamanga: #photo « a voting day for adults but a beach day for kids! :D » http://fb.me/Oovazl8F

@Metisgasy: Un jour de repos, ca ne fait de mal à personne. Vive le referendum. #Madagascar

@Metisgasy: A day off, it does not hurt anyone. Cheers for the referendum.#Madagascar

Others linked to their blog posts on the referendum by tweets :

@saveoursmile Témoignage d’un citoyen lambda sur le referendum de ce jour à #Madagascar http://bit.ly/bQlr79

@saveoursmile The referendum as seen by a simple citizen in #Madagascar http://bit.ly/bQlr79

Other tweets think tourism in Madagascar is safe, coup or not :

@lonelyplanet where to stay in Antananarivo? Any suggestion?

@Yektasays: flying to the capital of #Madagascar in an hour, got @lonelyplanet 2007, no clue where to stay yet re: http://ff.im/tkZuI

@Yektasays: … #Madagascar is fantastic, we think here is similar to Bolivia ,more fun.. re: http://ff.im/tkZuI

When the base where the mutineers were holed up was attacked, tweets said :

@streetrover In sum, the moramora #coup hasn’t failed yet. It’s well & alive. Rajoelina & Co are now desperate. Who will rescue them again?

@madatribune #Madagascar : le ministère des forces armées demande aux civils d’évacuer la base Bani d’Ivato et les alentours [fr]

@madatribune #Madagascar : Ministry of the Army asks civilians to evacuate the Bani base in Ivato and the vicinity

@falyfamalagasy #Madagascar : Les pourparlers « continueraient » mais l’évacuation « serait » du au fait d’un éventuel débordement au… http://ff.im/u0Ssr [fr]

@falyfamalagasy #Madagascar : Discussions « would continue » but the evacuation « would be » because of a possible overflowing in… http://ff.im/u0Ssr

@falyfamalagasy Le CEMGAM est entré dans la Base BANI il y a 15 minutes pour continuer les pourparlers, rien pour l’instant #Madagascar [fr]

@falyfamalagasy The CEMGAM entered the BANI Base 15 minutes ago in order to negociate, nothing for the moment #Madagascar

@topmada #madagascar La HAT « putschistes en mars 2009″ embourbée et contrainte de négocier. Lire ici http://bit.ly/a0Ab8c [fr]

@topmada #madagascar The HAT « putschists in March 2009″ bogged down and forced to negotiate. Read here http://bit.ly/a0Ab8c

@topmada #madagascar Les #USA pour une transition neutre, condamnent toutes actions de forces que ce soit pour s’emparer ou se maintenir au pouvoir

@topmada #madagascar For a neutral transition, the #USA condemn all acts of force either to seize or maintain power.

The Times of Madagascar posted the Statement of the United States Regarding the Current Situation in Madagascar

@madatribune #madagascar Ambiance toujours tendue à Ivato (écoles et commerces fermés), mais l’heure reste à la négociation. [fr]

@madatribune #madagascar Still tense atmosphere in Ivato (schools and shops closed), but the time remains for negotiation.

@falyfamalagasy RT @madatribune: #madagascar Le chef d’État-major a négocié pendant deux heures. Pas de déclaration à la sortie (vers 12h30).

@falyfamalagasy RT @madatribune: #madagascar The Chief of the Army has negotiated for two hours. No declaration when leaving (at about 12.30 pm).

@falyfamalagasy #Madagascar : si c’est un pseudo-putsh pour légitimer la HAT auprès de la CI ça risque de marcher, mais il ne faut pas jouer avec le feu !

@falyfamalagasy #Madagascar : if it’s a pseudo-coup to legitimize the HAT to the CI that could work, but don’t play with fire !

@topmada Statuquo des négociations à #madagascar. Les militaires refusent pour le moment tout ordre d’assaut contre leurs frères d’armes

@topmada Statu quo of the negotiations in #madagascar. For the moment, the soldiers refuse any assault order against their brother-in-arms

@tomavana CEMGAM’s call to the militaries: ‘appeasement & to continue on the negociation path’ #Madagascar http://bit.ly/c8oBFr re: http://ff.im [fr]

@rovamanga « Déclaration du Cemgam, le Gal Ndrianarijaona André » http://0z.fr/cxRVV

@rovamanga « Cemgam’s declaration, Gal Ndrianarijaona André » http://0z.fr/cxRVV

@topmada #madagascar Assaut avorté, signe d’un vrai début de réconciliation au sein de l’armée ? disqualifiant d’office la HAT http://bit.ly/cfpaWr [fr]

@topmada #madagascar Assault aborted, sign of a true beginning of reconciliation within the military? automatically disqualifying the HAT http://bit.ly/cfpaWr

@topmada #madagascar Andry Rajoelina refuse la réconciliation entamée par l’armée. Réconciliation ou division des malgaches son choix est fait

@topmada #madagascar Andry Rajoelina refuse the reconciliation initiated by the army. Reconciliation or division of malagasy people, he made his choice

@tananews Le CEMGAM Ndrianarijaona André serait sur le point d’être remercié. Un mutin de plus en perspective qui va gonfler les rangs de la BANI ?

@tananews Ndrianarijaona Andre would be on the verge being fired. Another potential mutineer to reinforce the BANI mutiny?

@jentilisa It’ll be over for the FAT if CEMGAM is dismissed. Fatal error if CEMGAM is dismissed. src #tananews #madagascar

@topmada #madagascar L’ordre d’assaut du CSMP (BANI) à Ivato par le FIS et le DSP a été donné par Andry Rajoelina

@topmada #madagascar The assault order against the CSMP (BANI) in Ivato by the FIS and DSP was from Andry Rajoelina

@news2dago Reading: « Un fort dispositif des forces de l’ordre vient d’arriver aux abords du BANI Ivato. « ( http://twitthis.com/no5yi8 )

@jentilisa Raikitra ny an-kitifitra. Echanges de tirs dans l’enceinte du camp BANI Ivato src #orangemadagascar #madagascar

Exchange of gunfire in the camp BANI Ivato src#orangemadagascar #madagascar

@tomavana ‘accalmie après échanges de tirs au BANI Ivato’ Antananarivo #Madagascar http://bit.ly/c8oBFr à suivre sur orange.mg

@tomavana ‘lull after exchange of gunfire at BANI Ivato’ Antananarivo #Madagascar http://bit.ly/c8oBFr to follow at orange.mg

@falyfamalagasy #Madagascar (sourge orange.mg) 16H50 : Accalmie au BANI Ivato, les tirs ont cessé. Les forces spéciales ont pénétré… http://ff.im/u53zz

@falyfamalagasy #Madagascar (sourge orange.mg) 16H50 : Lull at BANI Ivato, gunfire has ceased. Special forces entered… http://ff.im/u53zz

@thierry_ratsiz RT @BreakingNews: Gunshots heard after security forces in #Madagascar enter rebel barracks – Reuters

@tomavana ‘Gunshots has ceased before the special forces anter rebel barrack’ then exchange of gunfire again http://bit.ly/buIf1H src orange.mg [fr]

@falyfamalagasy RT @tomavana: [assaut à la BANI Ivato #Madagascar ] ‘général Noel Rakotonandrasana et qq officiers se seraient rendus’ src orange.mg

@falyfamalagasy RT @tomavana: [assault at BANI Ivato #Madagascar ] ‘general Noel Rakotonandrasana and some officers reportedly surrendered’ src orange.mg

@avylavitra #madagascar La destination inconnue pour ces officiers rebelles. Ils seront repartis dans différentes prisons.

@avylavitra #madagascar Unknown destination for those rebel officers. They’ll be incarcerated in different jails.

@tomavana [opération de com rondement menée] #Madagascar ‘La vie reprend son cours normal aux abords du BANI’ conclut orange.mg

@tomavana [com operation carried out efficiently] #Madagascar ‘Life returning to normal around the Bani’ concludes orange.mg

@news2dago #Madagascar Fin de l’épisode

@news2dago #Madagascar End of the episode

@avylavitra #madagascar BANI Résumé: début des hostilités vers 15h 50 par FIS/Lylison, environ 30 rebl se sont rendu 17h30, aucune perte de vie humaine [fr]

@avylavitra #madagascar In summary : start of hostilities at about 3.50pm by FIS / Lylison, about 30 rebels surrendered at 5.30pm, no loss of human life

Global Voices author Mialy Andriamanjara and Paula Goes contributed to this article.

Madagascar: Coup attempt, as referendum takes place

Lalatiana Rahariniaina — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:01:57 +0000

A controversial referendum was held on November 17, 2010 in Madagascar. That event, however, would soon be overshadowed by reports of the most bloodless of the putsches the country has experienced to date.

At the time this article is being written, the putschists are entrenched in a camp and surrounded by government troops, while negotiations are ongoing. Twitter user @Randria_09 linked to a video stream of a press conference held by the putschists.

The coup leader, General Noel Rakotonandrasana, who also led the coup that overthrew former President Ravalomanana and brought the current Transition president, Andry Rajoelina, to power, said that the putschists did not need to surrender, and were in the process of building themselves up. Rakotonandrasana expressed disappointment in the pace at which progress was taking place under Rajoelina, citing that as the reason for the attempted overthrow.

November 17 had started normally enough, with people going to the polls to cast their votes in the referendum which would take Madagascar to the fourth republic. Opposition parties boycotted the referendum in protest over Rajoelina's refusal to honour a pact he signed in August 2009 pledging to form a power-sharing government, though by 10am on November 17 it looked more than likely to be approved. Under its terms, Rajoelina would remain as president until a new head of states is elected. He has declared that he will not seek office in the next election, and promised to hold parliamentary elections in March, followed by presidential elections in May 2011, but few appear to believe him.

Image courtesy Jentilisa

Blogger Jentilisa [mg] shared pics of the election process, which was reportedly rife with irregularities, in the morning [mg] and in the afternoon [mg] of November 17. He noted:

Tsy misy valopy intsony moa amin’ity fifidianana iray ity ary dia tsy miafina intsony ny safidin’ny olona raha ny fijeriko azy satria misokatra ho azy ao anaty vata ny taratasim-pifidianana sasany. Hita taratra sahady ny vato maro misafidy. Mampisavovona taratasy ao anaty vata ilay taratasy aforitra dia tahaka ireny hoe maro ireny ny mpifidy.

There were no more envelopes in this voting process and the voter's selection is not anymore hidden as I saw it, because some of the ballots unfolded once they were inserted into the transparent box. We could see the choices of the voters. The folded papers take a lot of space in the box and makes it appear as though there were numerous votes.

Avylavitra also reported on the referendum [mg], mentioning faulty electoral cards and disorganization:

Nisy ny birao efa nivoha maraina tamin’ity androany ity. Ny fanamarihana azo entina voalohany aloha hatreto dia ny fisian’ny hadisoana betsaka Na ny andro sy taona nahaterahana, na ny anarana, na ny toeram-ponenana. Fa ny tena henjana dia ny tatitra avy amin’ny fianakaviana any Ambohidratrimo. Lisea efa tsy natao biraom-pifidianana hatry ny ela ary tsy ao anatin’ny tokony ho isan’ny birao fandatsaham-bato no voasoratra any anatin’ny kara-pifidianan’ny olona. Tonga teny ny olona vao nivanaka, ary nasaina nifindra amina birao hafa.

There were polling stations which opened early this morning. My first observation is that there were many mistakes [on the electoral cards]: date of birth, name, address. But the worst was the report from relatives who live in Ambohidratrimo. A high school which had not been used a polling station for a long time and which was not even on the polling stations list was printed on people’s electoral cards. People were surprised when they presented themselves there, and were asked to go vote in another station.

Amin’ireo birao fandatsaham-bato voatsidika androany aloha dia nilamina amin’ny ankapobeny ny fizotran’ny fitsapan-kevibahoaka. Nisy ihany anefa teny an-tsefantsefany teny ny tsy fahatomombanana maro samihafa, toy ny an’ny birao tokony hifidianan’ireo avy etsy Ankorondrano andrefana: ny filohan’ny birao fandatsaham-bato mihitsy, miampy ny filoham-pokontany no sady tsy ao anaty lisitra no tsy manana kara-pifidianana. Birao mifanila aminy eo ihany no nahitana kosa fandraisana ny anaran’ireo olona tsy hita tabilao ireo ka soratana ao anaty kahie iray daholo mombamomba ireo rehetra te-haneho safidy nefa tsy hita lisitra sy sy nanana karatra. Nolazaina moa fa ho entina manitsy ny aoriana noho ny ‘hadisoana betsaka hita ao anaty lisitra nataon’ny CENI’ no antony hoy ireo teo an-toerana.Tetsy amin’ny CEG Antaninena no nitrangan’izany.

In the polling stations I visited today, the referendum seemed to progress normally. Nevertheless, there were a few incidents, such as the polling station where people from West Ankorondrano should vote: even the president of the polling station, and the chief of the fokontany (district) were missing on the electoral list and did not have an electoral card. In a nearby station, there was a notebook in which all information was noted about people who were not on the electoral list, did not have electoral cards but wanted to vote. They said this will be for correcting future mistakes due to the faulty electoral list prepared by the CENI (National Independant Electoral Commission). This happened at the CEG (Public Elementary School ) in Antaninena.

Ariniaina, a blogger from FOKO, reported the results of an online survey she conducted on the referendum:

YES, they wanted to vote because it is their right and their duty to do so. So that they would be able to express their voice. One person said that they did not really want to vote but they heard that there would be a sanction for those who did not.

For the NO side, the reason can be divided into 3 groups. The first group said that they would not have time for this, they would not be able to do this (because they live abroad), they were not interested in it, or they did not feel involved, they did not understand the reason of this referendum, it was just nonsense. The second group is people who believed that this referendum was a way to legalize the current regime and the YES is anyway sure to win. The third group is convinced that the current situation of Madagascar, the political crisis and the social problems are not opportune for the holding of an election now and would not bring proper solutions to all the issues.

The attempted coup took place around 1:00 p.m. (Madagascar time GMT+3). Around 20 military officers in a military base near the airport in the capital summoned journalist to a meeting to announce they were seizing power. Among their demands was the release of all political prisoners and the return of all leaders in exile, including the deposed former president, Marc Ravalomanana.

Andry wrote on his blog, the Cyber Observer:

Yesterday around 01.00pm at the BANI (Air Force) military camp of Ivato (suburb of Antananarivo), 18 high ranked officers from the Army, the Gendarmerie and the Police released a communiqué in which they declared that the HAT was dissolved and replaced by a new military committee which has been set up to run the country, that general secretaries had to run their respective ministries instead of ministers, and that all the state organs were under their control. They also invited the other officers to join them and commanded to all soldiers to go back and stay in their camps of origin.

At the time of this article, the putschists seemed to have lost momentum. Andry Rajoelina was still negotiating with the putschists, and Reuters wondered if he would have to offer the putschists some cushy positions in the government to resolve the problem.

Meanwhile, unsubstantiated rumors circulated on the Internet of the imminent return of Didier Ratsiraka, a former President who had kept close ties to the military. AngloMalagasy tweeted:

“Sobika reports that there have been indications that Didier Ratsiraka intends to return to #Madagascar later this week”

And lest anyone had forgotten that there had been a referendum that day, the provisional results, with “Yes” in a strong lead position, were reported by Twitter user Thierry Andriamirado [fr],

“Résultats intermédiaires de (3433?) bureaux de vote #Référendum #Madagascar : Oui: 71% Non: 28%”

“Provisional results of 3433? polling stations #referendum # Madagascar are : 71% Yes, and 28% No”

Madagascar: Village Burned Down by Highwaymen during Cattle Robbery

Lova Rakotomalala — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:40:46 +0000

The villages of Ampasimbe and Ankaenihenibe in Madagascar were attacked by gangs of highwaymen [Fr] (Dahalo in Malagasy) that made away with 18 and 15 zebus respectively. As the Ampasimbe villagers retaliated against the robbers, their village was burned down entirely, partly because of the powerful wind guts at the time.

Madagascar: Citizens Reporting of the Latest Clash Between Armed Forces and Protesters.

Lova Rakotomalala — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 02:43:11 +0000

Blogger Jentilisa gives a detailed eyewitness account [mg] of the latest acts of violence [fr] between security forces and protesters on October 18th in Antananarivo, Madagascar. An estimated 1,500 people protested in front of the court where members of the opposition were to appear. Here is a citizen video of the protest before the clash.