Global Voices » Madagascar

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: Exiled Former President Ravalomanana Refused Return

Avylavitra — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:22:51 +0000

Crowd awaiting the landing of the flight by Avylavitra

Marc Ravalomanana, Madagascar’s former President, has been in exile in Johannesburg, South Africa, since leaving the country in February 2009. He attempted Saturday, January 21, 2012 to return to the country, after failing to board a plane back home in February 19, 2011, when Andry Rajoelina, who toppled him after a coup, issued several NOTAMs prohibiting him from landing in the capital city's airport, Ivato.

Twitterers followed events live, using the special twitter hashtag #M21112. Here is a timeline of the event as told by twitter users.

Twitterers noticed the arrival of several pro-Ravalomanana politicians as well as important characters in the former Ravalomanana government on January 21.

(Given the numerous Twitter updates, the twitter quotes were directly translated from their original language to facilitate the reading of the article)

@topmada: “#Madagascar #M21112 Fetison Rakoto Andrianirina, Charles Rabemananjara, Tojo Ravalomanana are also there

@topmada : Come-back of Ravalomanana : Manandafy, Mamy Rakotoarivelo, Guy Rivo Andrianarisoa, Naika Eliane in the Ivato VIP lounge #madagascar #M21112

@topmada : Come-back of Ravalomanana : Pierrot Botozaza, Ruffine Tsiranana, Ihanta Randriamandranto also at Ivato #Madagascar #M21112

Twitters updates were rife with rumors about the possibility of his arrest, and even of his arrest warrant having been lifted.

@falyfamalagasy : General Forum:: Official Website Forum of the Ravalomanana Party :: OFFICIAL : The arrest warrant has not been lifted bit.ly/A7MCMY

@hairyt : Madagascar's ex-leader flies home under arrest threat bit.ly/xmFGWY #gasikara #m21112

@myrakoto Mamy Yve RAKOTOMANGA: #Ravalomanana – Tvplus announces the lift of the arrest warrant!!!

Supporters of the former president came early in the morning at the International Airport of Antananarivo, reporting problems :

@Tefy_eyes Tyfe Dawg: Buses of the delegation from Toamasina were stopped by the authorities of Sarimasina on the RN2 road and are threatened to impoundment @francediplo

@jentilisa Zo Andriamifidisoa: “@gasyjodasy: Roadblock of the emmonat at the entry of #Ivato # Madagascar #M21112”

Crowd at Ivato Airport by Avylavitra

All roads leading to Ivato and its surroundings were filled with cars and crowds. It was difficult, if not impossible, to circulate, 2 km from the airports.

@mammysou Mamisoa: The crowd continues to pour in, on foot, by car, or by pubic transport…#Madagascar #M21112

A few minutes after the plane entered Malagasy airspace, it was ordered to turn back because the airport where it was to land at was closed, even airports in the provinces. Followed several moments of uncertainty where twitterers thought Ravalomanana had headed to Mozambique, or if he would even be arrested in South Africa.

@topmada TopMada.com: #madagascar #M21112 Andry Rajoelina issued several NOTAM to close airfields in Antananarivo, Toamasina and Toliary

@ranjachrys: Plane carrying Madagascar's Ravalomanana diverts to Mozambique: bit.ly/AzdeI9 (Reuters) #M21112

@hdleague Human D League: @tomavana @nirent That would be ironic if he got arrested in South Africa instead of #Madagascar. #M21112

Sébastien Hervieu, a journalist who was aboard the plane with Ravalomanana reports on Ravalomanana’s strategy to involve again the international community in the seemingly never ending Malagasy conflict.

@SebHervieu: #Ravalomanana counts on the #UA summit next week to complain to the Heads of State #M21112

It is clear that what was happening made the former president’s supporters angry.

Ravalomanana’s political party made an announcement that it is suspending its participation to the Government of National Unity, headed by Rajoelina:

@saveoursmile Hery Zo: #ra8 movement suspended its CT, CST, governing council participation #M21112 according to Mamy Rakotoarivelo (Radio interview)

In anticipation of trouble on January 21, some shopping centers rushed their goods and closed, to avoid looting such as on Black Monday (January 26, 2009) and to avoid damages, as what happened to the stores in Ivato.

@ariniaina Lalah Ariniaina: 1:00 pm, Suprême Center took out their goods to prevent any risk of looting #M21112

The media seemingly did not fulfill their duty to report fairly about the event that took place:

@thierry_ratsiz Thierry Ratsizehena: Misinformation of some media in the capital leaves me speechless #M21112

The huge crowd which wanted to welcome Ravalomanana was not easily contained and some were wounded.

@topmada TopMada.com: #Madagascar #M21112 Ivato : security forces trying to contain the huge crowd with tear gas sprays and rubber bullets

@johnuniackdavis John Uniack Davis: Still crowds at airport, rocks being thrown, attempts to loot. But heavy rain now so let's hope cool (+ wet) heads prevail. #m21112

@avylavitra Arefidar Sweet: Currently, four admitted to Ambohibao Lutheran hospital: 2 women and 1 man injured, a man passed out because of the teargass #Madagascar #M21112

One of those wounded during the clashes by Avylavitra

The US Embassy in Madagascar was active on twitter as well, announcing its intentions to follow the developments closely and seeming to warn both sides of abuses. On January 23:

@USMadagascar USEmbassy-Madagascar: The U.S. calls on all parties to avoid actions that might lead to violence. The United States will follow these developments closely.

@USMadagascar USEmbassy-Madagascar : We continue to call on all factions to work together to ensure genuine progress toward holding free, fair, & transparent elections…

All photos taken by the author of the post Avylavitra

Madagascar: After the Land Grab Affair, Is Daewoo Back in the Country ?

Lova Rakotomalala — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:33:02 +0000

Sam posts an open letter to Andry Rajoelina written by Mamy Rakotondrainibe that demands more transparency on the return of Daewoo Logistics in the economy of Madagascar [fr]. Mahefa Rakotomalala provides more context on this return [fr]. The South Korean company is notorious for an attempted land grab deal that provoked the fall of former president Ravalomanana. Other land deals are still supposedly in the work in Madagascar.

Madagascar, Ethiopia: Arable Lands on Sale

Lova Rakotomalala — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:30:27 +0000

The association “Collectif TANY” for the Protection of Land in Madagascar has published an exhaustive list of the instances of Land Grab by foreign entities in Madagascar [fr]. They warn the public opinion that sales or leasing of arable lands at discount prices are still taking place in Madagascar (2 euros/m2 in Nosy Be) and in Ethiopia [fr] (rental of 2,500 km2 of land for 180 euros/week). As an example of such deal, the association links to the current land contractual agreement between Ethiopia and the International Sannati Agro Farm Entreprises. The contract allows the Sannati group to be exempt of taxation on capital rapatriation and import duties.

Global Voices in Dutch Looks Back on 2011

Percy Balemans — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:00:05 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

While the year 2012 is already well on its way, the translators of Global Voices in Dutch look back on 2011. Which posts stood out and what makes Global Voices so special?

Marjolein Snippe writes:

A while ago I had been translating a short documentary on the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant and the arguments of indigenous people opposing it. Then I saw this report on Global Voices. I was glad the issue is still receiving attention and that the (mainly) indigenous people opposing it are getting their voices heard in Brazilian courtrooms, by the Brazilian government and by worldwide sympathisers and supporters.

I was very much touched by an article about Syria I translated back in March. All the personal stories and deep worries made the impact the struggles had on the people living there so much more visible and “tangible” than most official newspaper reports!

Mieke Tulp writes:

Being asked which GV posts from last year made an impression, it seems inevitable to come up with something about the Arabic Spring. One article that struck me was a report about day-to-day life on Tahrir Square. It focussed on the positive attitude and feelings among the protesters. Little Utopia amidst explosive surroundings

Another story from an Arab country that touched me was the arrest of Razan Ghazzawi. The article was translated into virtually every language Global Voices covers, and rightfully so. She was released on 18 December.

Something that had an absolutely negative impact on me: Troy Davis’ death. He was executed in September. I do not know what to say about it. It should not have happened.

And an interesting story about children who have to work. In Bolivia the working children formed unions to ensure better wages and working conditions. It is a story about strong children who work and go to school and are determined to create a better future for themselves.

Percy Balemans writes:

Last year I translated a lot of stories about the Arab Spring, a subject that was also covered extensively by regular media. But they mainly showed images of huge crowds. This is why I was touched by the story about Egyptian Nadia El Awady who took her 73-year old father to Tahrir Square. What a wonderful way to get a taste of the atmosphere and to read how a 73-year old experiences it all!

I also enjoyed translating the article “African Women Striving to be Heads of State“. A perfect example of the kind of subject you won't read about in regular media, but which is covered by Global Voices.

Saskia Bliemer writes:

I found “North Korea Threatens to Disclose Recordings of Talks with South“, written by Lee Yoo Eun, very interesting to translate. Though we have seen lots of images from North Korea on the news lately, the country remains a mystery to me. The good thing about Global Voices is that you can read the opinions of the local population, making it possible to get a more complete idea of the situation.

A huge thank you to all Global Voices in Dutch translators [nl] for their contributions in 2011! Would you like to contribute as well? Contact us.

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

A Radical Solution For Global Poverty: Open Borders

Andreea Ungureanu — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:21:20 +0000

18 December was the occasion to celebrate The International Migrants Day [fr]. During the current global financial crisis, immigration from developing countries has been blamed by several political parties as the source of unemployment in their countries. Even though there hasn't been a single study, so far, that has proved that immigration has had in fact a meaningful role in the employment crisis, this belief remains strongly anchored in the minds of many.

Another phenomenon is also strongly anchored in the fabric of many developed societies: the increase in frequency of humanitarian campaigns around the holiday season.

Indeed, at every year's end in the more developed countries, one can observe campaigns that encourage their citizens to make donations to fight poverty in distant, less fortunate countries.

In addition to the recurring images of extreme poverty around the holidays (also referred to as “poverty porn” in the development sector whenever pictures of poor people are excessively exploited by charities), there are some worrying statistics: 1.4 billion people live with less than $1.25 a day. Despite some undeniable economic progress in many African nations, social inequality is still even more striking on the African continent.

Economists also project that 1/3 of the poor in the world will reside on the African continent by 2015. In fact, economic hardship is one of the key factors mentioned by the 700 million people worldwide who are eager to leave their countries of origin.

Nomads in Morocco on Flickr by Antonioperezrio (CC-NC-2.0)

It often seems that the least developed countries just cannot escape the scourge of poverty, apparently powerless against the magnitude of the task at hand. Moreover, these countries are often reminded of their inability to meet the needs of the population without international support. Although international aid is a consequence of urgent crises, this situation is often felt as a recurring affront to national pride.

Various experts postulate, however, that extreme poverty isn't inevitable. The most radical solution to drastically reducing global poverty would be, for many economic experts, opening the borders between countries and allowing workers to migrate where labor is most needed.

Professors Marko Bagaric and Lant Pritchett are two of the first scholars to introduce the concept of “open borders” as a solution to reducing global poverty.

To this effect, Bagaric writes::

Sending resources to impoverished places has merit. But it is a slow and fickle way of enhancing well-being. Instead, we directly pursue this aim by freeing up the flow of people so they can travel to where the goods are. [..] The starvation crisis is simply one of food distribution, not shortage. The best way to ameliorate Third World poverty is by massively increasing migration to the West. Left to their own devices many people would gravitate to life-sustaining resources, leading to a rough equilibrium between the world's resources and its population.

Lant Pritchett explains this notion in details in his book: Let Their People Come: Breaking the Policy Deadlock on International Labor Mobility. He quotes the results of a study claiming that:

Eliminating the planet’s remaining trade barriers would increase global GDP by around $US100 billion.
Eliminating immigration barriers, by comparison, would as much as double world income: that is, increase global GDP by $US60 trillion.
This added wealth would be shared, but the overwhelming beneficiaries would be people who now live in poor countries.

Demonstrations held in favor of the immigrants’ right to work in Paris by austinevan on Flickr (CC-NC-SA-2.0)

The World Bank published a study about immigrants' contribution to the economy of their native countries through remittances from abroad. The study also shows that remittances are expected to reach as high as 351 billion dollars to the developing countries, and 481 billion dollars globally including the high-income countries. The study also mentions that:

Remittance flows to four of the six World Bank-designated developing regions grew faster than expected — by 11 percent to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 10.1 percent to South Asia, 7.6 percent to East Asia and Pacific and 7.4 percent to Sub-Saharan Africa, despite the difficult economic conditions in Europe and other destinations of African migrants.

Needless to say, these non-orthodox theories are questioned by various experts and politicians. Frank Salter explains that the main concerns come from the inherent dysfunctions of every multicultural society:

Unrestricted migration would harm (Australia’s) national interests in ways documented by scholars in economics, sociology and related disciplines. Much of the harm is predictable from what is known about the dysfunctions of diversity. They include growing inequality in the especially invidious form of ethnic stratification [..] Diversity has also been associated with reduced democracy, slowed economic growth, falling social cohesion and foreign aid, as well as rising corruption and risk of civil conflict

From a political point of view, Europe is far from opening the borders, rather the contrary. In France, the Guéant Act restricts foreign graduates' possibility of recruitment, giving birth to various reactions. Julie Owono, Global Voices member, describes the implications of this law and the reactions of various African bloggers that see this law as an additional reason to contribute to the development of their countries. On the Rue89's blog, Owono adds that the Guéant Act also ostracizes financially limited foreign students [fr].

In Africa, only a few experts have studied the concept of open borders, an idea that is, without doubt, too distant from the continent realities to persist. McGill University philosophy professor, Arash Abizadeh, doesn't encourage the opening of borders, yet states that the current border system can't be justified by a liberal egalitarian logic. Abidazeh states that if we want to stick to the belief that “All men are born free and equal”, the constitution of borders is by itself a violation of such a principle.

Malagasy blogger Sly writes about the risks of opening the borders:

I'm African and while it seems that this would be a good idea there are some drawbacks
-child trafficiking
-drug trafficking
-spread of HIV and other diseases.
-refugees will form camps in more prosperous nations causing some problems.
Having said this some countries in Africa do have open borders with some neighbourig countries.

Sly refers to the fact that opening the borders between Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia, in an attempt to increase regional economic integration, raised some major challenges in the region during the recent food crisis.

This concept of using open borders to reduce global social inequalities implies that reducing global poverty would be the highest priority in the world. It would come before other important considerations such as national security and the national interests of each country. This theory of Pritchett and Magric certainly has a contentious side that aims to provoke a debate.

However, despite the claims of the international community that wants to reduce poverty worldwide, the open borders solution is only to be considered in specific contexts and won't take precedence over other items on the international agenda.

Madagascar: Debating the Worth of Foreign Direct Investment

Lova Rakotomalala — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:07:23 +0000

While Madagascar attempts to find a way out of a prolonged political crisis, Malagasy bloggers are discussing the value of foreign direct investment (FDI). The worth of foreign investment came into sharp contrast when a land deal with Korean investor Daewoo came under criticism and partly triggered the current crisis.

Many Malagasy believe that Madagascar, like many other African countries is rich in natural resources but that the land has been plagued by poor governance and unfair trade deals. Ten years ago, The Economist labeled Africa “The Hopeless Continent”. Their most recent publication highlights the rapid growth of many African countries‘ GDP. Still, the growth is not equally felt throughout the continent. In fact, Madagascar is projected to have one of the lowest level of growth in all of Africa.

Additionally, the capital city Antananarivo and other cities are currently experiencing frequent running water and power outages that have provoked frustration and outrage [fr] among Malagasy citizens. The current situation is one of the reasons Antananarivo has been ranked as one of the cities with the lowest quality of life in the world by the Mercer’s 2011 quality of living survey.

Having been marred in a lengthy political quagmire, the Malagasy blogosphere is trying to steer the debate away from a political solution to an overall debate on how to re-ignite an economy that has faltered over the past three years.

Evaratra in Madagascar. Photo credit to Lalatiana on the Madagoravox blog

Making FDI work for Malagasy people

Land deals have been discussed at length in Madagascar as a way to get out of poverty; the aborted Daewoo deal was the most publicized case but similar deals have been implemented without much hesitation or reaction.

The soundness of deals related to the mineral wealth of Madagascar has been recently debated by Malagasy experts.

Blaise Stephen is working at the International Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madagascar. He voiced his frustration with the current status-quo in the Madagascar political system that according to him is the main roadblock preventing more bilateral cooperation with foreign investors [fr]:

Nous sommes actuellement en cours de création d'une relation commerciale sur le LONG TERME qui sera bénéfique pour les Entreprises de Madagascar entre notre pays Madagascar et le Koweït. L'objectif de cette coopération Étatique serait de mettre en place une ligne de trésorerie (emprunt) de 3 milliards de dollars (voire plus) sur 5 ans avec une mise a disposition immédiate de 1 millard de dollars (encaissement immédiat) que nous pourrions investir dans les activités a forte rentabilité de notre grand pays Madagascar (Activités d'INVESTISSEMENT et non de fonctionnement) [..] .La négociation concernant la mise en place de cette ligne de trésorerie serait la suivante : … 1) Un emprunt de notre État Madagascar a un taux de remboursement a 3,4 %…2) Pret aux Entreprises de Madagascar a un taux de 5,6% ce qui permet de casser le fonctionnement des banques de Madagascar qui prêtent a un taux de 18,20% sur des durées relativement courtes

We are currently in the process of building up a long term bilateral trading collaboration between Madagascar and Kuwait that would be beneficial for Malagasy companies. The goal is to set up a loan for three billion dollars over five years with one billion available right away that could be used for high return investment activities (investment and not operational funding). The negotiation is around the following line: 1) Madagascar will be borrowing at an interest rate of 3.4%… 2) the State could loan to Malagasy companies at 5.6% instead of the 18 or 20% rate currently proposed by the national banks on very short term periods.

In reaction to his post, Ndimby, asks in the comment section [fr]:

Pourriez-vous m'expliquer pourquoi vous rêvez devant un emprunt à 3,4% alors que vous n'arrêtez pas de critiquer les institutions de Bretton Woods qui prêtent pourtant à des “taux concessionnels” de 0,5% ?

Why are you dreaming of an interest rate at 3,4% when you always criticize the Bretton Woods institutions who loan at 0.5% ?

To which, Blaise Stephen replies [fr]:

La question n'est pas d'aimer ou de ne pas aimer les institutions de Bretton Woods mais de juger de leur efficacité dans le processus de développement économique et social pour un pays comme Madagascar…Il faut savoir que ces Institutions ont mis en faillite des pays comme la Russie ou l'Argentine. .et il faut se poser la question : Pourquoi une Institution sensée sortir les pays de la galère, les enfoncent encore un peu plus? [..] Non seulement elles ne te donnent pas la totalité de ton prêt en un seul versement mais se permettent d'apprécier la gestion des affaires courantes des Etats…En règle général, le rôle d'un préteur est de s assurer que son débiteur le rembourse correctement son prêt, il ne va pas s'immiscer dans la vie privée de son client…Ces institutions se permettent d'apprécier la politique générale des Etats et de donner des leçons quant a la gestion de leur affaires publiques avec une arme redoutable la SUPPRESSION DES VERSEMENTS ATTENDUS…Bizarrement cela fini toujours par la suppression des versements attendus : non seulement tu ne peux plus continuer tes travaux de développement, mais tu rembourses pour de l'argent que tu n'as pas reçu…C'est la raison pour laquelle je préfère emprunter a 3,4% en sachant que les liquidités sont directement disponibles

The question is not to like or dislike the Bretton Woods institutions, but to judge their effectiveness in the process of economic and social development for a country like Madagascar … Remember that these institutions have pushed countries like Russia or Argentina towards bankruptcy… so one has to ask: Why an institution supposed to help the countries out of the crisis is actually helping it to sink a little more? […] They not only do not give you all of your loan in a lump sum but they also dare to weigh into the way we handle our national affairs… As a general rule, the role of a lender is to ensure that the debtor repays his loan properly and not to interfere in the private business of his client … These institutions not only evaluate the general policy of the States but they also give lessons in managing national affairs with a formidable weapon: the threat of of cancelling the expected payments … Strangely it always ends by the cancellation of the expected payments: so not only one cannot continue the development work, but you have to reimburse money you did not receive… This is the reason why I prefer to take a 3.4% rate knowing that the cash is readily available

Ndimby concludes the exchange on where the money comes from [fr]:

Ce que vous dites à la fin de votre démonstration me semble être résumable en un point : l'argent n'a pas d'odeur. Peu importe d'où il vient, à quoi il sert et le contexte dans lequel vous l'utilisez, pourvu que “vous le remboursiez en temps et en heure” [..] sans conditionnalités apparentes telles que vous le souhaitez. Mais je doute que finalement ces prêts soient innocents et effectués pour “l'amour de l'humanité”

What you say can be summed up thus: money is odorless. Who cares where it comes from, for what purpose or in what context it is used as long as you pay it back “on time” without the apparent conditionalities that you seem to dread. Still, I doubt that those loans are made out of love for humanity and are without hidden agenda.

A land rich in natural resources and rife with corruption

What Ndimby hints at is the risk of loan without conditionalities or lack of transparency on the use of investment funds.
Perspectives économiques en Afrique sums up the current economic situation [fr]:

L’environnement politique demeure instable. Dans ce contexte, les partenaires émergents représentent une opportunité pour Madagascar. La Chine n’a pas reconnu le gouvernement malgache actuel, mais plusieurs de ses entreprises continuent de signer des contrats avec lui. En 2010, le groupe chinois Wuhan Iron and Steel Co (WISCO) a versé une avance de 100 millions USD pour une concession portant sur l’extraction de minerai de fer. Si les gisements se révèlent aussi vastes qu’il l’espère, il pourrait y investir 8 milliards USD, ce qui serait, de loin, le plus gros investissement direct étranger (IDE) effectué à ce jour à Madagascar. Ce pays, où la corruption est omniprésente, devra réussir à transformer cette opportunité en développement.

The political environment is still unstable. In this context, the emerging countries represent an opportunity for Madagascar. China has not officially recognized the current government but many Chinese companies have contracted deals with the State. In 2010, Chinese group Wuhan Iron and Steel Co (WISCO) loaned $100 million USD to exploit iron mines. If the mines are as vast as projected, they could invest for more than $8 billion USD which would be the largest foreign investment ever in Madagascar. In a country rife with corruption, they will have to show that they can transform this opportunity into development.

As mentioned earlier, the lack of clear rules and structure during the current transitional period is already very conducive to all kind of corruption. In this article, Franck R. highlights recent instances of corruption [fr]:

A Madagascar, notamment sous ce régime transitoire, on aime trop prendre son temps. Et on aime aussi s’enrichir… rapidement. [..] ces véhicules de l’UNICEF confisqués par des politiques, la scandaleuse richesse, en l’espace de quelques mois, d’un célèbre affairiste de la place qui a acquis un immeuble sis à Antanimena, un gros paquet d’actions de Madarail,[..] Il n’est pas le seul à profiter de la transition pour se faire du fric. Ainsi va la transition.

In Madagascar, notably under the current transition government, we like to take our time except when it comes to getting richer […] the UNICEF cars that were confiscated, the outrageous sudden wealth of a businessman who acquired it in a few months, a building in Antanimena, major stock options in Madarail […] and he is not the only one to make money. And so goes the transition.

Ndimby concludes on the link between corruption and the political crisis [fr]:

C’est ce genre de mentalité, qui tente systématiquement de cacher la réalité et de détourner l’attention des insuffisances du clapier en matière de gestion publique qui fait que la crise perdure. A force de se complaire dans le subterfuge et la superficialité ; à force de prétendre qu’un coup d’État est une oeuvre de salut public ; à force d’insinuer qu’un régime qui ne tient que par la répression et la corruption est soutenu par l’ensemble du peuple ; il ne faut pas s’étonner que la reconnaissance internationale ait patiné pendant plus de deux ans et que la réconciliation nationale dérape périodiquement.

It's because of such mentality that systematically tries to hide the reality and distract the attention from the sheer incompetence of the public funds that the crisis lingers on. It's because they always encourage superficiality and flashy announcements, because they always try to convince that a coup is for the betterment of the general population, and because they try to convince others that the government is supported by the people when it holds power only thanks to repression and corruption. We should not be surprised that international recognition is so hard to achieve after two years and that national unity keeps slipping away.

Malagasy bloggers seem to come to a consensus that foreign direct investment can only be as good as the transparency that accompanies its implementation. Otherwise, it's just another all too common story of wasted money that will benefit corrupt African leaders.

Madagascar: French Passenger Convicted of Racial Abuse Towards a Flight Attendant

Lova Rakotomalala — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:33:13 +0000

A passenger on a flight from Mauritius to Paris was convicted of racial abuse by a Malagasy court after he told a Malagasy flight attendant that [fr] “his ancestors were slaves and so is he because he is black. He (the passenger) is white therefore the flight attendant should do as he was told.” The incident occurred after an argument over a bottle of liquor in the plane.

Madagascar: Exiled President Returns as a Government of National Unity Forms

Lova Rakotomalala — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:10:12 +0000

Andrianjorar reflects on the recent return of exiled former president Ratsiraka in Madagascar [fr]. In the meantime, a government of national unity headed by PM Beriziky has been formed [fr] but its final composition is still disputed regarding the attribution of several key ministries.

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: A Blogger's Wish for Free Elections for Christmas

Vivienne Griffiths — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:58:52 +0000

In a letter to Santa Claus, on his blog tulearenvie.mondoblog.org, @Andriamihaj shares his nostalgia for the atmosphere generated by peaceful elections and points out what he misses: “I would really like to experience new things. I actually want to experience the propaganda (it's been a while). I want to change the posters on my wall (not on Facebook, on the other wall), have pens, new t-shirts. …I just want elections!

Madagascar: Illicit Sale of Drugs On the Rise

Lova Rakotomalala — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:24:09 +0000

Baovola Rajaosafara, president of the National Committee to Fight against the Illicit Sale of Drugs ( CNLCMIM in French), declares that it is too costly and inefficient to arrest illegal sellers of drugs and that they will strive to increase awareness in the general population instead [fr]. Purchasing drugs at illicit selling points is on the rise because the majority of the population cannot afford the current selling prices at pharmacies and hospitals.

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.”

Madagascar: 16 candidates for the Prime Minister Position

Lova Rakotomalala — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:14:50 +0000

Valis reports that the selection of the new prime minister in Madagascar among the 16 official candidates was postponed [fr] from October 23rd to October 28 because no consensus could be found between the parties involved. Ndimby argues that the increasingly pessimistic projection for the Malagasy economy forced the transition leader to finally seek out a political consensus [fr].

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.