Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Madagascar Today
The Dark Years
Madagascar has been in the throes of a political crisis since Andry Rajoelina came to power
following violent uprisings in March 2009; his predecessor, Marc Ravalomanana, handed
power to the army and fled to South Africa.
The international community decided that Rajoelina's accession to power was unconsti-
tutional and refused to recognise his High Transitional Authority (HAT) as a legitimate gov-
ernment.
A power-sharing deal brokered by France, South Africa and the African Union between
HAT and the opposition was reached in August 2009, only to be dismissed by HAT a couple
of months later. The sanctions were swift and drastic: all international aid funding, which
represented about 50% of the government's public funding, was withheld.
In August 2010, Marc Ravalomanana was condemned, in absentia, to forced labour for
life for the deaths of 30 protesters during the uprisings of February 2009 (the presidential
guards had fired on the crowd without warning).
HAT's self-imposed deadline of running elections within 24 months came and went, but
the Southern African Development Community (SADC) kept working behind the scenes
on a compromise. In March 2011, after months of negotiations, SADC presented a draft
roadmap for an exit to the crisis.
Light at the End of the Tunnel?
The political crisis increased poverty levels by more than 9% between
2005 and 2010. In 2009, Madagascar's GDP actually decreased by nearly
4%, and only grew by 0.3% in 2010 and 0.7% in 2011. Projections predict
a more dynamic 2% in 2012.
It took a few iterations but the roadmap was finally signed by all political parties on 17
September 2011, with the exception of former president and political exile Didier Ratsiraka.
