Cape Town — The South African government has cautioned deposed Malagasy leader Marc Ravalomanana against returning to his country, saying such a move would be “unwise, provocative and may even incite the deaths of many innocent people.”
The South African view was spelled out by the country’s top diplomat, Ayanda Ntsaluba, in a news conference in Pretoria on Wednesday, according to a transcript released by the foreign ministry.
Ntsaluba’s warning followed an announcement by Ravalomanana on April 15 that he planned to return home under the protection of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to begin a national dialogue with his successor, Andry Rajoelina, in the hope of organizing new presidential elections by the end of the year.
Rajoelina ousted Ravalomanana with the backing of the military in March. His seizure of power was condemned as unconstitutional by both SADC and the African Union.
Ntsaluba told the news conference that SADC believed Ravalomanana should return “at some point” but that talks with the new leadership were needed to prepare the way “so that they see that it is in the interests of Madagascar to find some other solution to the current challenges.” He said South Africa had been encouraged by the opening of “lines of communication” between Malagasy parties by United Nations diplomats.
Also on Wednesday, the person named by Ravalomanana as his prime minister, Manandafy Rakotonirina, his bodyguards and a former defence minister were arrested at a major hotel, reports L'Express de Madagascar from the capital, Antananarivo. The newspaper said an angry mob molested Pierre Andriatenaina, a member of Rajoelina’s administration who arrived at the scene after the security forces had left.
Earlier, Rakotonirina’s spokesperson, Constant Raveloson, said security forces were preventing pro-Ravalomanana groups from holding a meeting in a hall. He deplored the way Ravalomanana supporters were being treated.
On Monday, Rajoelina’s administration arrested three security officials accused of supporting Ravalomanana. Security forces fired shots during the incident, which occurred at the Constitutional Court. The administration believed the arrested officials had committed an act of sabotage meant to discredit the transitional government during street protests last week.
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I think the ousted Pdt should behave also and follow the warning by the South Africa, But if he want to kill more people by his carelessness and by showing that he doesn't care as usually he did when he was on power (amending constitution without people's agreement), then this really shows how power hungry he is! I do not agree the idea that Rakoto Albert said about communism in Madagascar. It is simple many loosing parties in Madagascar know how to keep silence after being literally vomited by the population, but this time the TIM and MFM could not contained it and they try to create terrorizing situation or genocide similar to Rwanda or far more Somali but people have understood from the beginning and very conscious. I believe that taking Ravalomanana and his allies away from the political life in Madagascar can do more good than bad for the future of the Island if they keep on to their way of inciting troubles in the capital and its suburbs. Also the international communities have to understand that to face the international crises and the local instability, the democratization lead by the HAT should be assisted with full precaution to avoid chaos. As it has been clear that the HAT is committed with 19 months plan to return the democratic regime. It is also understood why most counties in Africa hate the situation that happened in Madagascar, but they will be far more in trouble if they try to reinstall the former and resigned president because (only few groups of people were enjoying the life while he himself gets more and more authoritarian and 80% of the population gone down under the poverty line) they support a dictator leader such as Mugabe or more who are still holding power in Africa. So in that case they become so interesting to think about the bunch of leadership in Africa that could not help to get rid of the poverty!!! Above all, the ignorance also affect deeply the local community in Madagascar because of these politics of partisanship which can lead to deep and difficult trouble.
Meloky, when have you been the last time in Madagascar to bring so theorical critics like this ? No comment is needed. Just come and visit Madagascar by your own eyes to see what progress have been achieved during the past seven year: roads, conservation, schools, hospitals, new investment including the big ones like Tinto Rinto, QMM and so on. I am operating in the tourism business and we have doubled our turnover during the past three years. That's all to say about it. Thanks.
What Meloky is saying is very theorical. I don't know if you had the opportunity to visit schools, hostpital and new markets in the farway countryside in Madagascar. You will see how much growth you can see and feel with the living of population. When you do not see it, your judgement remain on the air. Once you land on the ground, you see how many new employment have been created when Madagascar was selected to export through the AGOA preference - this AGOA agreement is now compromised with the HAT because the US governement will stop this agreement as democracy is spoilt. Where will go this 100.000 employes. Since February and March, many factories have been burnt and robbed by the TGV's people, it is like the unemployment rate have increased into 30 percent.
How much roads have been built during the past 4 years to allow people moving around and to transport local product and avoid rise of the prices.
You see how much wealth have been created for the country the last past 4 years and how much good was the economy environment to realise how much effort have been made.
You can simply see how many journalist have been arrested these last few days as reported by Reporter Sans Frontier.
The hardworks, the progress and the growth made by all of us are now jeopardized because Rajoelina and the military want to be the leaders of the country.
When 80 percent of the Malagasy are from the country side and that Madagascar is an agricultural country, why the HAT want force the price of the local product into half. It is no sense because the producers do not even meet their costs. It is to destroy the Malagasy little by little.
Now some unkown Arabian investors have come to Madagascar and promised to cut the price of all the imported products by two while the same products costs 10 times more in their own country. It is just killing the local industry without saying that these guys are laundering black money.
It is very easy to understand that Madagascar is at very bad hands.
What Meloky is saying is very theorical. I don't know if you had the opportunity to visit schools, hostpital and new markets in the farway countryside in Madagascar. You will see how much growth you can see and feel with the living of population. When you do not see it, your judgement remain on the air. Once you land on the ground, you see how many new employment have been created when Madagascar was selected to export through the AGOA preference - this AGOA agreement is now compromised with the HAT because the US governement will stop this agreement as democracy is spoilt. Where will go this 100.000 employes. Since February and March, many factories have been burnt and robbed by the TGV's people, it is like the unemployment rate have increased into 30 percent.
How much roads have been built during the past 4 years to allow people moving around and to transport local product and avoid rise of the prices.
You see how much wealth have been created for the country the last past 4 years and how much good was the economy environment to realise how much effort have been made.
You can simply see how many journalist have been arrested these last few days as reported by Reporter Sans Frontier.
The hardworks, the progress and the growth made by all of us are now jeopardized because Rajoelina and the military want to be the leaders of the country.
When 80 percent of the Malagasy are from the country side and that Madagascar is an agricultural country, why the HAT want force the price of the local product into half. It is no sense because the producers do not even meet their costs. It is to destroy the Malagasy little by little.
Now some unkown Arabian investors have come to Madagascar and promised to cut the price of all the imported products by two while the same products costs 10 times more in their own country. It is just killing the local industry without saying that these guys are laundering black money.
It is very easy to understand that Madagascar is at very bad hands.
COMMUNISM IS BACK IN MADAGASCA*R
The newly appointed Malagasy Prime Minister was kidnapped by the military yesterday evening with his four body guards, one colonel and the leader of the legalist ladies movement at Carlton hotel, the only 5 star hotel in country under the Media cameras and witnesses. A 70-years-old and a worldwide known democrat person, the prime minister, without crime but his opinion against the self-declared government Haute Autorité de Transition, is now at the hands of the terrorist militaries. The situation is currently awkward: Journalists who are publishing information about the legalist movement are threatened by the military mutineers and see their stations closed right away. Arbitrary arrestations have become kind of normality in Madagascar during the past three weeks. Public workers are investigated by the police when they are against the HAT. Even the High Institutional Courts chief of security and institutional relations has been arrested to intimidate the members of this prestigious Institution. This is to leave this institution offices and members without protection. Militaries with luxury four wheel drives are ruling the Capital and everybody should bent in front of their Kalashnikov. They shoot at what and who they want, kill innocents and rob houses and vehicles.These soldiers are hired and paid with lots of money to terrorize the population.
The international community present is watching and experiencing this struggling situation.The French embassy based in Madagascar is financing these soldiers to destabilize the country. French army officers are conducting the operations. During 40 days in power, here are the early achievements of the HAT: the 4 parliamentary members democratically elected, 1 prime minister, 3 ministers, more than 200 people have been arrested during peaceful manifestation, more than 40 people have been killed in the street of Antananarivo. One journalist local killed, One international journalist arrested, 4 radio stations closed, 2 TV stations closed. 20 000 people shot with lacrymogene grenades. 350000 tons of rice was requisitioned by the HAT from a private company. The national assembly has been suspended with 168 democratically elected members. The Senate with 80 senators has been also suspended. 60 vehicles have been stolen by the militaries. The American ambassador and the African Union emissary have been forced to quit a meeting room with guns at their necks. No public manifestation is allowed. The fundamental human rights to freely express ones opinion does not exist anymore in Madagascar. The Malagasy fundamental value called Fihavanana(friendship+brotherhood+relationship) , has been blown away.And we call this democracy. Welcome the Communism with Andry Rajoelina. The major part of the Malagasy people, peaceful people, against this new strange regime is determined with the help of YOU, international community to vanish this danger to the regional stability. The Malagasy terrorist soldiers will become pirates in the Indian ocean after a while when no action will be undertaken.
Rakoto Albert - Antananarivo, 30th April 2009
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