POLITICAL violence intensified in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, over the weekend with at least 25 anti-government protestors killed and some 200 injured when security forces opened fire on the crowd. Tensions have been high since January 24 when opposition supporters took to the streets of the capital protesting the closure of a private television and radio station by President Ravalomanana. The closure was seen by supporters of opposition leader, Andy Rajoelina, as a move to silence them and followed two weeks of strikes, protests and sporadic looting in which some 60 people were killed (most in a fire that broke out during looting). Rajoelina was fired by the president as Mayor of Antananarivo last week, fuelling tensions and intensifying protests.
The latest protest took place on Saturday when thousands of demonstrators marched on the presidential palace. On Sunday an uneasy calm had returned to the capital with security forces patrolling the streets, concentrating on the area around the presidential compound. The Madagascar government also extended the 20h00 to 05h00 curfew, which has been in place for the past two weeks, for a further week. The country’s Minister of Defence, Cecile Manorohanta, resigned on Monday in protest against Saturday’s bloodshed, a further indication of political instability. In the wake of the latest violence the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office increased its travel advisory from “all but essential travel” (January 24) to “advising against all travel” to the island.
Should tour operators and others involved in the travel and tourism industry in Madagascar have any information on the situation on the ground, please email us (editor@travelhub.co.za).
