Ravalomanana and his "brother" Mouammar Kadhafi
Ravalomanana tends to focalize the actualité on wrong problems. But there are always reasons of effects. "Telegraphic style" retracts the roots of the truth. “We should not shed tears over the fact that we lost but on the way will remains us to live a better future” (Heared in “Home”, a beautiful movie by Yann Arthus-Bertand).
The following article was published in French in May, 2009. It is always d’actualité. Marc Ravalomanana is in banishment in Southern Africa for two years nowadays.
Marc Ravalomanana, the ancient head of state evicted from power, accused the ancient colonial potency of “supporting his rival”, the president of the regime of transition, Andry Rajoelina. France would try, according to him, « to colonize again » Madagascar. A new try of Marc Ravalomanana to rally the Malagasy in his reason.
Marc Ravalomanana does not mince the words towards France. In a radio address broadcast, the evicted president accused Paris "of supporting" the leader of malagasy transition, Andry Rajoelina, and « to want to colonize » the Big Island. « An admission of weakness », according to Françis Soler, the chief editor of The letter of Indian Ocean. « Marc Ravalomanana is losing the hand economically and politically. He thought that he was going to be supported by the malagasy army and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), but it is not case. His statements are tinted with provocation and with bitterness ».
Andry Rajoelina, the darling of the Frenchmen?
The evicted president tries to discredit the regime of Andry Rajoelina which opposed, on Thursday, in its return in the country. The African union and France which had condemned early in the year the catch of power of the president of transition, see again their positions for some weeks. According to the Letter of the Indian Ocean, it would be the French head of state, Nicolas Sarkozy, who would have solicited the president of the Africain Union, Mouammar Kadhafi so that he accepts Andry Rajoelina. « At first, they first criticized his catch of power and then he became the president of transition. As tonality has tendency from fait accompli, Paris changed its behaviour », explains Francis Soler.
The question of economic interests
An anonymous article published on March 27th, 2009 in Top Mada, an online malagasy daily seeming close to the evicted president, advance that the economic reports between the ancient head of state and Paris would have been able to be at the origin of the fall of Marc Ravolomanana. Notably, concerning the deposit of oil of Bemolonga coveted by Total. The ex-president would never have supported the plan of the French group, campaigning rather for China Petroleum Corp, one of the most important oil groups in the world. A tactical error which would have been worth him his place.
« Since his come to power », according to Top Mada, « it put the French groups which were in situation of quasi monopoly before, as Coweary, in competition with firms from the United States, of Canada, Southern Africa and also Asia. The part of France in investments was only diminishing ». An analysis distant from that of Francis Soler who underlines the beneficial effects of the policy of Marc Ravalomanana, on the French firms. “ He offered a diversification of economic relations. Coweary, a big French firm of BTP, found the count there. Even if it lost market shares, it won in volume. The market of BTP expanded ”. The Frenchman used this policy. The ancient president is not anti-French, he is just “ very nationalist ”, estimates the journalist. A nationalism which also served its interests, since Mark Ravalomanana has, on the malagasy food market, manifold teach Tiko and Magro and a complex hotelkeeper.
By declaring that France supports Rajoelina to the detriment of the fundamental interests of the Malagasy, the ancient head of state achieves a media blow. But it remains unlikely that to elate an anti-French feeling to the Malagasy can be enough for him to find power.
This article can so explain why Ravalomanana turns to the English-speaking countries from Africa to support him. And the entry of Madagascar as a member of Sadc is very personal " tikoesque " story…
Translated by Jeannot Ramambazafy – 24 march 2011