I would like to thank His Majesty King Mswati the Third (III) and President Motlanthe for convening this extraordinary SADC summit.
On different occasions, SADC has assessed the situation on the ground and made its report to both His Majesty and President Motlanthe.
The Ministerial mission, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Swaziland, could also assess the situation, which was already very tense.
That is why this summit is very important for the people of Madagascar. Their future depends on its outcome.
Majesty; Excellencies, I never resigned. I was forced to hand power over, at gun point, on March the 17th.
My family and I, were surrounded by soldiers threatening our lives. My son and his wife were forced to hide in the forest.
The only escape for us was out of the country.
Andry Rajoelina, the former Mayor of the Capital, Antananarivo, seized power through terrorism. He has incited unprecedented violence and destruction. And this since the 26th of January.
National and private radio and television stations were burnt down, and more than 20 shopping centres were looted and burnt down. Rajoelina used his own radio and Television stations for subversive propaganda.
Through these stations, he spread rumors against the government.
He made use of this strategy to:
1) terrorize the population and
2) destabilize the country.
The economy has been ruined: hundreds of businesses had to close down due to looting.
The security forces could not prevent the wave of destruction because they lacked anti riot equipment. They were overwhelmed by the scope of organized violence.
Andry Rajoelina claimed very early that he wanted to take charge of the country. On the 31st of January, he ordered the whole country to follow his leadership.
He told the administration and security forces they were under his command. And day by day, he orchestrated disruptive demonstrations, for both the public, and the private sector.
On the 7th of February, he proclaimed himself ‘president of the Higher Authority of Transition’. He appointed a prime minister, who named a cabinet of ministers.
All this occurred during street rallies. He then attempted to take over the presidential palace and the ministries. He did not succeed at this stage.
As his intentions of taking over power illegally became apparent, and the violence continued, he began losing support.
In speeches, he began threatening citizens: those unwilling to participate, would have their houses marked. His team began sending threats to ministers, MPs, senators, and media managers. Two newspapers had to stop publishing.
He then announced he would seize power with the help of armed forces. On Sunday the 8th of March, he organized a mutiny within a faction of the army. Junior officers rebelled against senior officers. Some officers were taken hostage at the army barracks.
His ‘Minister of Justice’ issued arrest warrants against members of the cabinet. With the help of the mutineers, he took the prime minister’s office on Friday the 13th.
Three days later, the mutinous soldiers took the Presidential palace in town.
On Tuesday the 17th, he sent troops to take the State Palace of Iavoloha, where I used to reside and work. They dispersed thousands of supporters camped outside the Palace, before they stormed it.
On the same day, mutinous officers stormed a meeting. They pointed guns at diplomats, senior members of the church, of the civil society, and of the army. They even took high ranking officers and a pastor hostage. They demanded power be handed over to Rajoelina.
As soon as he took power, Rajoelina dissolved Parliament and the Cabinet. He has also modified the Constitution, by changing the structure of the High Constitutional Court. As a result, 10 out of the 11 members are appointed by him and his government.
The people of Madagascar do not want this undemocratic regime. For over a week, people have been demonstrating against it, and asking for my return. Over 30 000 people were protesting last Saturday.
Unfortunately, violence and intimidation still prevail. After last Saturday’s demonstration, a group of rebellious soldiers and some militiamen chased the people who held the peaceful demonstration in the Capital, Antananarivo.
They shot at the demonstrators. As a result, 7 died, and more than 30 were injured. Several people are missing. Many were arrested.
Your Majesty, Excellencies, I am so saddened by this. Madagascar was doing so well. We were ranked among the best performing economies in Sub Saharan Africa with a growth rate of above 7% last year. Now there is total loss of business confidence in Madagascar.
Investors are pulling out, the international community is withdrawing its support. The poorest people of Madagascar are the ones who will suffer the most. Surely they do not deserve this.
Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, these last few months have been a very very painful episode of my life. I am saddened by the futile loss of lives, the senseless destruction of everything we had achieved.
Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, the only solution to this crisis is to return the democratically elected Government back to power. This is what the people of Madagascar are calling for.
This is why there are rallies in different parts of the country on a daily basis, asking for my return.
The coup and the current regime are destroying Madagascar every day. A faction of the army is out of control. Civil servants are on strike. The government’s funds have been withdrawn. People refuse to pay taxes to an undemocratic government.
For all these reasons, I ask for your help to save Madagascar from chaos and anarchy. I need your assistance to go back to my country. The situation prevailing in Madagascar is unacceptable. The rule of law and democracy must be restored.
Once back in power I will undertake the following:-
1. Constitute a new consensus inclusive Government.
2. Establish an Independent Electoral Commission
3. Restructure and retrain the army and the police, with the assistance of SADC and other partners
4. Improve the business climate
5. Ensure that the rule of law is observed
6. Hold national consultations for either a referendum or anticipated presidential elections
In conclusion, I make a special plea for an intervention of SADC to remove the insurgents and restore democracy in my country.
I must thank President Molanthe, the Chaiperson of SADC, and King Mswati The Third, the chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security, and all the heads of State and government who have attended the Summit.
Thank you for your assistance and compassion. I have full confidence in the solidarity and the mutual support between members of the SADC.
Thank you.
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Ravalomanana should sit down, accept his dictatorship karma and shut the hell up!
What goes around comes around! It's called the 'wheel of karma' -- action and reaction. Isn't this the same Ravalomanana who spurned the AU when he originally made his own dictatorial move to come to power in Madagascar? Raalomanana was the one who set the coup example, by stealing power in Madagascar. Africans should be more concerned with the evil European 'regime changes' engineered in Madagascar by the wicked french colonialists, who are intent on dominating and exploiting Africans generation after generation. The french are the ones to target, and not fellow Madagascans!
My friend, when Ravalomanana came to power in 2002 he indeed spurned the AU. It happened after a disputed election against the former dictator Ratsiraka, now exiled in France. Ravalomanana was officially the winner of the first round with 48% of votes over his runner-up at 35%. Polling stations minutes checks showed afterwards that he actually won by 52% and there was a massive rigging from the incumbent president's party. Subsequent international acknowledgement of Ravalo's win put an end to that chapter.
Ravalomanana is an authoritarian ruler but he is no dictator. Typically, a dictator's rule depends heavily on the Army and the Police's support, which are in turn pampered by the former. No wonder then that a fraction of the Army turned so easily their guns against Ravalomanana after being grafted by his bitter opponent and possibly France. Those same military men are now the mainstay of the current regime. They are so heavy handed on the population that they open fire almost daily on peaceful demonstrators, wounding tens of them even today. As the rest of the Army seemed very subdued and unable to react, we Malagasy citizens are living under the continued threat of those mutinous soldiers. This is why we want SADC troops to come and free us from their brutal rule.
it is indeed with deep sense of sorrow that i write. i am particularly amazed at the degree with which mr Ravalomanana has womanly made his presentations to the SADC. it is practically too difficult to quickly stop thinking how Mr Rovalomanana has served as the president of his state! from the excellency's address, there was never a time it appeared to me that he was ever inchage of the state, rather only what i could read from his address is that he is a coward. tell me why a local government chairman, an under-age-adult, with respect, could have eased mr Ravalomanana from a throne that he was democratically signed into via a polical election? i did not have the impression that Mr president Ravalomanana is enjoying the support of his people before his dethronement. how is Andry incharge of the army in a country that Ravalomanana is the president? may be because of his financial muscle which has indicted France in all the facets of this atrocity in Madagascar. Zimbabwe and Mugabe will never go out of history because he frustrated the illegal regime change that the West are known for and characterised by. But today people call Mugabe names not knowing that he is an African child and a world hero. why is France being fingered in this oddity in Madagascar again? the same Western ilegitimate hegemony! african leaders heed this call..., know from today that the only way out of our arena of shame is to be positively recognise that internationa aid is abusive of our human rights as africans. that the natural and human resources tapped from this continent could suffice in taking care of our problems. that people who need our resources will not present it as though they are helping us BUT that they need our help for the upkeep of their kiths and kins. some times they inject crises into our countries so that they will be able to benefit from our misreable state, by selling their finished deadly weapon. by coniving our oil, gold and several other mineral resources that we are naturally endowed with.why is African leaders not supporting/sponsoring regime change in in any of the western countries?... Africans needs leaders who are sound in the head, administration and debate.
First of all, I would like to thank you for the help that you have done for Madagagascar.But now, we wait for military help from SADC. Why I call SAD Security, because the mutinous are still killed the people. They can't stand democracy. So I call with high voice come to my country to arrange this crisis. Help us help us. We really want our president Ravalomanana comes back . He is the only person who can save our country. Help us. French is the first responsible of this crisis. We hate french. Go away away with Rajoelina and his troups. This troups make us in depth of poverty. We are on strike now in order to deny this taking power. We don't accept; that's why we strongly ask our presidnt to come back. Please SADC, help us