Madagascar
Malagasy power struggle remains open

afrol News, 24 June - While ex-President Didier Ratsiraka has returned to Madagascar after gaining official African support for his demand to hold new elections, President Marc Ravalomanana is gaining popular African support. Ravalomanana also enjoys ongoing victories on the physical battlefield. 

The much celebrated going into exile by ex-President Ratsiraka ten days ago turned out a flop as the protagonist yesterday returned to his stronghold Tamatave (Toamasina); still insisting he is the rightful leader of Madagascar. Malagasy and foreign media - including UN reporters - had claimed Ratsiraka had gone into French exile following Ravalomanana's military successes. 

Madagascar's long-time president Ratsiraka on the contrary had spent his time abroad well. On Friday, Ratsiraka met African leaders in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, where the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) met to discuss the Malagasy crisis. 

Despite the hopes of an African recognition of Ravalomanana's elected government, the OAU leaders and long-time colleagues of Ratsiraka turned back the clock and opted for the organisation of a second poll round; a Ratsiraka demand even left by the mediators. The OAU also decided to freeze Madagascar's seat in the organisation; effectively non-recognising both rivals' governments.

President Ravalomanana dismissed the OAU's refusal to recognise his government. He also rejected the call for a second poll round to the December 2001 elections, referring to the recount by the Constitutional Court, showing he had won the poll outright. 

Raymond Ramandimbilahatra, spokesman of President Ravalomanana, said the OAU's decision did not come as a surprise, saying "it changes nothing for us." He added that the OAU leaders were "a club of old heads of state, some of them friends of Didier Ratsiraka, who keep themselves in power in the same way he did." 

Even though country formally has recognised Ravalomanana's government, most Western states de facto are dealing with Ravalomanana as the Malagasy President. Spokesman Karsten Klepsvik of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told afrol News the view of the OAU no longer was decisive for European countries. 

While the diplomatic battlefield is giving mixed results for Ravalomanana's government, its military successes are continuing. At present, only one and a half of Madagascar's six provinces are under the control of pro-Ratsiraka troops. 

While no attempts still have been made to conquer Ratsiraka's Tamatave stronghold on Madagascar's east coast, current military operations are in the northern province of Antsiranana. Antsiranana Province is officially under Ratsiraka's control, but pro-Ravalomanana troops reportedly are advancing. State radio reported the province's south-western town Ambanja and the island Nosy Be were taken on Saturday. Earlier, the province's eastern town Sambava was taken by Ravalomanana's troops.

Ratsiraka reportedly is trying to meet these military advances by hiring mercenaries to assassinate Ravalomanana. 12 French mercenaries, who were stopped on a flight from Tanzania to Madagascar on Wednesday, allegedly had been hired by Ratsiraka. The latter however categorically denies this. 

The mercenary scandal however helped turn popular opinions to favour Ravalomanana. This weekend, Kenya's leading newspaper, the 'East African Standard', strongly condemned Ratsiraka in an editorial, calling him "Africa's shame". The daily called for an OAU reaction, saying it "must come out with a verdict that respects the will of the people and the decision of the court," referring to Ravalomanana's popular election. The newspaper was however not heard, as it turned out.

Sources: Based on Malagasy govt, Tiako i Madagasikara, press reports and afrol archives 

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