Thursday Afternoon, just before 14h00, local time 11h00 GMT.
In Tana things seem to be calming down. The Armed forces were out doing there job. When I was at the petrol station this morning to get fuel for my motorbike there was even a soldier with his AK-47 to keep us safe. And more significantly there weren’t any queues! That is a good sign!
There seems to be continuing unrest in the provinces. But I suspect that htings will get better throughout the day.
Shoprite Talatamaty is stil not open. But if, as the rumours go, it is truely the only Shoprite still standing, you can understadn their hesitance. I am sorely tempted to go and look at the destruction in the city. Maybe tomorrow! But a lot of this is just motivated by curiosity and not a desire to help or to report what I saw.
Yesterday President Ravalomanana visited some of the places that were razed. He said that the government will assit in the reconstruction on houses. He also said that the Army followed his orders the first two days when they did not act. If they acted many more would have been dead.
This provides an interesting cultural insight. Looting, razing of buildings and general lawlessness is preferable to the loss of life. (That is if I understand it correctly.) Again we see how inadequately an outsider can understand another culture. Whether his logic makes sense to me and you is not the point. It (apparently) makes sense within the Malagasy culture.
It has been reported that there were in the order of 400 000 people at the rally held by Andry TGV on Monday. He has called for another mass meeting on Saturday. As an outsider I question the wisdom of this action. It has already been proved that a group like this can easily turn into a crazy mob. Perhaps it would be wiser to address his followers via radio and television.
I urge you to pray for rain over the weekend. Lots of rain will surely deter many people from turning out. (Just for clarity: I am not declaring myself anti-TGV by hoping that the meeting will rain out, but rather pro-peace!)
Arrest-warrants were issued for Rolland Ratsiraka, the nephew of previous president Didier Ratsiraka, the current mayor of Toamasina, as well as for General Dolin Rasolosoa, a close advisor to Rajoelina.
President Ravalomanana made it clear that he lays the majority of the blame for the violence squarely at the feet of Andry Rajoelina, the DJ turned mayor.
The website Sobika.com reports that 61% of a reported 3000 pollsters indicated that they want an negotiated settlement to the crisis.
The numbers of how many died as a result of the riots vary significantly. Some are as “low” as 33, and some people say in excess of 70. There are even claims of upto 90 dead. Most were killed when a burning three-storey clothing store collapsed on the looters.
It is really sad when you see the reactions of the “common” man and woman. They shake their heads at these incomprehensible events. They all ask: “Why?”
And on a more practical level, cooking oil is virtually unobtainable. I know. I tried. Apparently sugar is also dissapearing fast. Most Malagasy people buy tiny amounts because they do not have money to buy a full bottle of this or a packet of that.
Madagascar is in desperate need of revival. These riots were the manifestation of the hold that the defeated one still has in this country.
Filed under: Report
