Stories from Quick Reads and Madagascar
Scroll Through Madagascar History Via Vintage Photographs
Access to the visual history of most former colonial countries in Africa is usually a challenging proposition because former colonial powers restrict access to historical archives. Helihanta RAJAONARISON and Tsiry Fy-Tia SOLOFOMIHANTA in Madagascar sought to solve this issue and make the history of Madagascar more palatable to the general...
2 Reasons Why Madagascar's President Hasn't Been Impeached Yet (Contrary to Media Reports)
Numerous media outlets have reported that Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina has been impeached. While members of parliament have voted 121 in favor of his impeachment out of 125, there are a few reasons why the president is still projected to stay in charge for the time being: The constitutional court...
The Collapse of Civilisation Is Already a Reality for the Children of Ambovombe, Madagascar
A scientific publication in the Journal of Ecological Economics argues that “over-exploitation of either Labor or Nature will result in a societal collapse” if nothing is done to prevent it. Based on a mathematical model, the study explains (via The Guardian) that the convergence of ” the stretching of resources due...
Emerging Threats in Cybersecurity Legislation in Africa
Access, an international human rights organization is troubles by emerging threats in cybersecurity and data protection in Africa. Ephraim Kenyanitto explains: The Convention was originally scheduled to pass in January 2014, but was delayed for modifications after protests by the private sector, civil society organizations, and privacy experts—all of whom...
Ex-President's Return Triggers Media Warning from Government in Madagascar
The political situation is tense again in Madagascar after ex-president in exile Marc Ravalomanana's return to the country. The conditions under which he came back and the subsequent house arrest and deportation to the North of the country are strongly debated on most malagasy media outlets. Heninkaja Rakotomanantsoa, managing editor of...
What If 75% of All Cities Were Deprived of Electricity by Design?
There are about 105 cities listed in all of Madagascar. The Minister of Energy Fienena Richard recently announced that 80 cities of Madagascar are curently deprived of electricity because JIRAMA, the public company in charge of providing electricity across the territory is running short on fuel. As a result, JIRAMA...
Locusts Invade Madagascar's Capital City
#valala pic.twitter.com/YHzOx5Q8QU — Vaintche Rahouli (@vincraholi) August 28, 2014 Twitter and Facebook users from Madagascar's capital city, Antananarivo, have posted several photos of locusts invading the city. Locust invasions are not unusual in Madagascar, especially after tropical storms, but they are very uncommon in larger cities. Locusts can have a...
Clashes After an Attempted Theft of 450 Cattle Leaves 15 Dead in Madagascar
#LeMonde #Afropages Madagascar : des affrontements entre voleurs de zébus et gendar… http://t.co/S0hKDuSvKJ pic.twitter.com/GbzjNjCTzz — Afropages (@Afropages) August 18, 2014 Armed forces and dahalos (highwaymen in Malagasy) clashed in Amboasary Sud in the southern region of Madagascar on Aug. 15 over a theft of humped cattle (Zebus), a type of domestic cattle with...
“Very Difficult to Care about Madagascar”
Thomas Friedman recently traveled to Madagascar and posits that Americans need to pay more attention to the economic and ecological disaster that threatens the island. Some of his readers did not quite agree, like Deosinon in Philadelphia, who argues that Madagascar is too far removed from his needs : I...
“How are We Malagasy Supposed to Provide School Supplies and Medications for our Children ?”
Malagasy blogger Tojo Fehizoro posted a spreadsheet that summarized the minimum cost of basic supplies for a Malagasy family of 4 with 2 children, 10 and 7 years old respectively. The spreadsheet lists the cost and description of each item [mg] and the combined salary of both parents: Monthly Income Monthly...
Apocalyptic Scenes in Andranondambo, Madagascar as Villages Fight Over Land
L'Express Mada reports that the entire village of Andranondambo in the South of Madagascar was destroyed [fr] during an inter-village conflict that stems from a dispute over land rights. The civilian conflict, which lasted from May 20 to 22, left no residents of the village alive. One of the military police...
An Open Letter to the President of Madagascar on Land Leases to Microsoft and the Zurich Zoo
In an open letter to the new President of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina and other elected officials, the Association for the protection of Malagasy Lands asks that several aspects of the contracts regarding the recent land leases be clarified to the general public [fr] : nous demandons une clarification de la part des autorités...
Madagascar to Start Distributing Crude Oil Locally and Hope to Boost Job Market
L'Express reports that the Madagascar Oil Group will start testing distribution of 55,000 to 73,000 barrels [fr] of crude oil from Tsimiroro, Madagascar onto the local market. It is part of the new government strategy to ingnite economic recovery and strive for energy independence [fr]. The oil exploitation is also expected to create new jobs for local...
Who Benefits from Trafficking Women from Madagascar to the Middle East?
Aaron Ross reports on his investigation in the heart of the ongoing human trafficking of young women from Madagascar to Middle Eastern countries: For some enterprising businessmen, the collapse heralded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So-called placement agencies sprang up in Antananarivo and other cities across Madagascar, promising the good life in...
The New Government of Prime Minister Roger Kolo Announced in Madagascar
Tananews in Madagascar has published the full list of the 31 members of the new Malagasy government [fr]. Mitsangana Madagascar notes that the list includes 6 women and that 7 ministers were already part [fr] of the previous transitional government. Former prime minister Beriziky wished the new government well on twitter :...
Why The President of Madagascar Has Not Named a New Prime Minister Yet
The new president of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina was elected president on December 20, 2013. A few months later, he's yet to name a prime minister for his new government. Many observers wonder what is taking so long. Malagasy blogger Michael Rakotoarison has a different take on the situation; he argues that maybe...
First Tweet from President of Madagascar is the Ultimate Meta Tweet
The newly elected president of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina created his twitter account on March 23, 2014. Here is his first tweet : It is quite possibly the most meta tweet ever from a head of state. Only media mugol Rupert Murdoch might challenge the level of “metaness” of his first...
Young Woman in Madagascar Kills Herself after Photos Were Re-posted on Facebook
Koolsaina writes that a Malagasy girl killed herself [fr] after photos of her were posted on a Facebook page that showcase photos of young women from Madagascar without their consent. A call to Facebook administrators was initiated to take down the page. As of today (March 16, 2014), Koolsaina reports...
Saving Primate Lemurs
A group of researchers from Madagascar, Canada, UK and USA published a detailed report in Science that alerts on the possible extinctions of 90% of the known lemurs of Madagascar following the prolonged political crisis in the country. One of the researcher, Christoph Schwitzer, explains to the Scientific American the dire consequences...
Madagascar Still Awaiting a New Prime Minister, Government
A full month since President-elect Hery Rajaonarimampianina took position as the new head of state in Madagascar, there are still no indication who the new prime minister will be and what government he/she will assemble. Ma-Laza argues that the main issue is not really the identity of the prime minister but...
Malagasy React to SI Swimming Suit Issue and Model's Take on Madagascar
The 2014 Sports Illustrated Swimming Suit Issue was shot on Nosy Iranja (Iranja Island), Madagascar: Nosy Iranja is known as the Turtle island for the Hawksbill Turtles came to shore to lay their eggs. It is also known for the spectacular sandbank that bridges the two nearby islands. Russian Top...
