Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For many, the Daewoo deal was the straw that broke the camel's back. Andry Rajoelina,
then mayor of Antananarivo and a former DJ, rallied opponents under his new TGV party.
Following the closure of his TV channel TV Viva in December 2008, violent protests en-
sued. On 7 February 2009, the army opened fire on protesters gathered in front of the pres-
idential palace, killing 40 and injuring more than 200. With inter-national pressure mount-
ing,Ravalomanana finallyhandedhisresignationtothearmyon17March2009andfledto
South Africa. Within a few hours the army had swiftly passed all powers to Rajoelina, who
was sworn in as president of the High Transitional Authority (Haute Autorité de Transition;
HAT).
The events were widely condemned by the international community as a coup, and the
result was that the EU, the US and the UN refused to recognise Rajoelina as Madagascar's
legitimate leader and turned off the international aid taps.
The HAT had promised to hold elections within 24 months, but as this topic went to
press, a firm date had yet to be announced.
TIMELINE
5th century BC
Although hard evidence has yet to be found, some scholars believe that humans
may have arrived in Madagascar as early as the 5th century BC.
5th century AD
Madagascar is settled by Indo-Malayans who migrate by sea from the distant
shores of Indonesia and Malaysia. They bring with them agricultural, linguistic
and cultural traditions.
15th century
Arabic script brought by Muslim immigrants is adapted to Malagasy language.
Sorabe ('Great Writings') is the preserve of a selected few and used only for
high-profile documents.
1500
Portuguese sailors under the command of Diego Dias become the first
Europeans to set foot on Madagascar; Dias names the island Ilha de São
Lourenço.
1600
