Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) - “The city is experiencing administrative chaos, however at least is no fighting,”Agenzia Fides was told by sources at Radio Don Bosco in Antananarivo, the most important Catholic radio in Madagascar, where the country has been suffering from a serious political crisis since 2002.
After days of protests, on February 3, the leading political adversary of President Marc Ravalomanana, Andry Rajoelina, who was Mayor of Antananarivo, was fired by the Prefect of the capital. Rajoelina, however, rejected the action and said that he would resign, asking his collaborator Michele Ratsivalaka to take over management of the city (see Fides 4/2/2009), in opposition to the provisional mayor Guy Rivo Randrianarisoa, who had been appointed by the Prefect. The administration in the capital, therefore, does not no who to obey and the chaos is spreading. “It is a chaos that was in part already present before the crisis,” Fides sources say. “The local newspapers are denouncing the fact that the city trash is not being picked up. But this happened beforehand, as well. The provisional mayor has promised to take care of the city's trash problem, but how does he expect to do it if there are no means and there aren't even city dumps?”
In the meantime, Rajoelina's supporters continue in protest. They have been in the May 13 Square for days now. “The demonstrators tried to enter the area of the Ministries, to occupy the seats with the Ministers appointed by the opposition, but they were turned away,” Fides sources say.
On February 10, Rajoelina announced the appointment of the first 4 Ministers of his “government,” which would substitute that of the present President, adding a few more in the days that followed.
In the mean time, a British humanitarian aid organization has launched an alert on the food situation on the southern part of the island. “The truth is that every year during this time, there are less food products in that area of Madagascar, as the food stored up from the previous year's harvest is all used up. The present crisis, however, is worsening the problem by blocking the aid vehicles,” the sources explained.
On the political field, some of the highest in command of the Armed Forces have affirmed that they “desire a rapid solution to the crisis and the army is ready to fulfill its duty.”
“The politicians have been warned: figure out an agreement as soon as possible or we will have to intervene,” Fides sources commented. Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade says that he is willing to mediate talks between Ravalomanana and Rajoelina.
Since the crisis broke out in mid-January, at least 125 people have died in the fighting between demonstrators and police forces. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 18/2/2009)
