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AU Suspends Madagascar Over Coup

by Barbara McPherson | March 20, 2009 at 10:33 am

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The new president of Madagascar, Rajoelina, is facing heavy opposition from within Africa as well as the US and Europe. The deposed president was becoming increasingly unpopular and a coup by the military was precipitated when opposition supporters occupied the president's office and giving the now former, president Ravalomanana, four hours to quit.

The African Union (AU) has suspended Madagascar over an army-backed coup by Andry Rajoelina, the former opposition leader.

Rajoelina, who declared himself as the new head of the country's transitional authority after Marc Ravalomanana was forced to step down as the president, has already drawn criticism from the US, France, Germany and the EU.

The interim leader has promised to bring food prices down on the island, where three-quarters of the population live on less than $2 a day.

He also said he would sell a plane that Ravalomanana recently bought for $60m, and use the money "to establish a hospital for the people's health, which is a higher priority".

Rajoelina has also cancelled an agreement to lease South Korean corporation Daewoo more than a million hectares of land to grow food crops, a deal for which Ravalomanana was heavily criticised.

The buying up of crop land in 'have not' areas by 'have' nations and companies is increasing. Concern is starting to be expressed that food will be exported to wealthy nations, leaving the residents without cropland and hungry.

Madagascar President Told to Quit

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