Updates for the PC(USA)
Madagascar Network meeting in
Cincinnati, 21 October 2009
Madagascar
Crisis Update
It has now been 7 months since
the Coup d’Etat of 17 March and almost 9 months since Andry Rajoelina
proclaimed himself president and began overt efforts to overthrow the
democratically-elected president. Unfortunately, the ensuing crisis appears
to be far from resolved. The international community’s most recent major
effort, a meeting in Antananarivo on 6 October by the International Contact
Group for Madagascar (ICG) which included representatives of the United
States, France, China, Russia, the UN, African Union, European Union,
Southern African Development Community (SADC) and others, resulted in the
international community endorsing Andry Rajoelina as president of a
power-sharing transitional government. Ousted president Ravalomanana has
protested, saying that it would set a dangerous precedent to legitimize the
perpetrator of a coup d’état.
The October 6th
meeting follows the signing of a group of agreements in
Maputo Mozambique on 8 August, including the Charter of
the Transition, known collectively as the Maputo Accords, which attempted to
define the structure of a power-sharing agreement between the 4 “mouvances”
of Madagascar’s three living elected
presidents plus Andry Rajoelina. The power-sharing transitional government
would run the country until a new elected government could be put in place
following elections to be held within 15 months.
The Maputo Accords do away
with the democratic institutions of the country: the presidency, senate,
national assembly, and the constitution itself (and the High Constitution
Court as well). The Senate and National Assembly were to be replaced by
transitional institutions in which each mouvance named a large number of the
members. The Charter of the Transition signed in Maputo on August 8 was supposed to have replaced
the Constitution upon being signed.
A second Maputo meeting was held in late August. It was
supposed to result in the naming of the President, Vice-President, and Prime
Minister of the transition. It did not result in a signed agreement as
Andry Rajoelina said he needed time to consult his supporters and
Ravalomanana indicated that he would not accept Andry Rajoelina as president
of the transition. Thus, the president, vice-president, and prime minister
were not decided at that meeting. Instead, Andry Rajoelina unilaterally
appointed these people, keeping the presidency for himself. He also kept on
his coup d’état prime minister, Monja Roindefo, who then appointed a second
government, which included some former supporters of other presidents. The
new government was roundly criticized by the international community.
On October 10th,
the
US Ambassador went to the
airport along with the ambassador of France and other representatives of
the international community to greet Eugène Mangalaza, the person that the
ICG had presented at the 6 October meeting as the consensus choice for prime
minister. Later that day, Andry Rajoelina appointed Mangalaza as prime
minister and members of Monja Roindefo’s government stated that they were no
longer taking orders from him. At about the same time, Andry Rajoelina
changed his own title from “President of the High Authority of the
Transition” to simply “President of the Transition”. However, Ravalomanana
protested that without the signatures of the 4 heads of mouvance there was
no consensus agreement. This led to a proposed meeting in Geneva this past weekend but Ravalomanana wanted to meet in
Africa rather than Europe. Now there is apparently a meeting scheduled for Addis Ababa on 3 November. Meanwhile, Monja
Roindefo complained of his ouster as Prime Minister to the court called the
“Conseil d’Etat”. It suspended the appointment of Eugène Mangalaza pending
a court decision which should be made this coming Thursday 22 October.
Now Madagascar
is in constitutional limbo. The Constitution, which should be the
foundation for law and order, is kind of no longer in effect since the
Charter of the Transition supposedly replaced it on August 8. (Some legal
experts have indicated that the Charter will come into effect only after it
is ratified by Congress. However, since both chambers of Congress were
abolished by the coup d’état leaders, this is no longer possible). In any
case, the institutions specified in the Charter have not been set up. At
the same time, it has become public that the International Community tried
to force through their version of a “consensus” government at the October 6
meeting, without the agreement of the 4 mouvance leaders, who had not been
invited. So, more delays and confusion are to be expected, dragging out the
resolution of the conflict. In sum: a mess. The ones who are suffering the
most are the people who have lost their right to be ruled by the president
they elected, to be represented by the people they elected to the National
Assembly and Senate, and to live under the Constitution that they approved
in a referendum. All those elections were deemed generally free and fair by
the international community.
Humanitarian Situation
The humanitarian situation
continues to deteriorate as a result of the crisis. It is estimated that
over 500000 (five hundred thousand) people will lose their livelihoods as a
result of the crisis. This figure comes from the loss of jobs from the
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) alone. Approximately 100000
people have direct employment due to AGOA; their dependents and people who
secondarily benefit from AGOA bring the number of those concerned to
500000. AGOA is a law from the US congress that allows certain goods from
eligible African countries to enter the US duty free. Madagascar has a well-developed
clothing industry that depends greatly on AGOA. AGOA eligibility expires
every year and must be renewed to continue. Eligibility depends on criteria
that include respect for human rights and the rule of law. Unless there are
drastic changes in Madagascar’s respect for human rights very
quickly, it seems likely that Madagascar will
be judged ineligible for 2010. In any case, faced with the likelihood that
AGOA will not be renewed for Madagascar,
US orders for clothing made in
Madagascar have already decreased
considerably, resulting in massive layoffs and closure of clothing
businesses.
Further, it is estimated that
70% of
Madagascar’s
budget comes from foreign assistance. Many countries and international
organizations (including the US) have suspended assistance to the
Malagasy government as a result of the coup d’état. It remains to be seen
how long the unconstitutional government can keep paying salaries to
government employees while foreign assistance remains suspended. It should
be mentioned that US humanitarian assistance has continued,
particularly to parts of southern Madagascar where
a humanitarian disaster looms due to drought exacerbated by the crisis.
Prices are now rising due to
the crisis right at the time when the country heads into what is called the
hardship period. The hardship period extends from around October through
March, the period when many people run out of rice and await the next
harvest. During this time people cut back on meals and expenses of all
sorts. The hardship period will be especially difficult this year, both in
rural and urban areas.
In addition to loss of jobs
and rising prices, the crisis is causing an increase in crime of all sorts.
Particularly worrisome is the
increased number of children who won’t be in school this year due to their
parents’ inability to pay school fees and purchase school supplies. A
recent cartoon showed an excited little girl running out to greet her
mother, announcing that school is about to start again. The mother
approaches her child dejected, having just received notice of being made
redundant at work.
Human
Rights
On 26 September, Mrs. Claudia
Randrianandrasana, age 50, was shot by a soldier in front of a public
hospital in Antananarivo
on the day of a protest against the coup d’état. She was hit in her legs
and thigh, apparently by a burst of automatic rifle fire. Her case drew
national attention: the coup d’état prime minister told the press that the
soldier who shot her was drunk. Nevertheless, the soldier has not been
arrested, reconfirming for the people the coup d’état government’s policy of
allowing soldiers to shoot unarmed protesters with impunity. Previously,
unarmed civilians were shot on 28 March and 20, 22, 23, and 24 April; at
least 7 died.
Fourteen of the protesters
arrested on 26 September as of a few days ago had yet to be released from
jail. They are among approximately 40 people arrested either arbitrarily or
for protesting the coup d’état that are in jail. The Maputo Accords stated
that all political prisoners would be released but this has not happened.
Among those in jail are leaders of the protests against the coup d’état
government, including Deputy Raharinaivo Andrianantoandro, who went with a
PC(USA) group to see a water source near Ambohidratrimo a few years ago.
On 22 September, the US recommended to the UN Human Rights Council in
Geneva that “the
leaders of the unconstitutional Governments in
Guinea and Madagascar
should step down”
(www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/9842ED7B62146C96C12576390044DFF2?opendocument).
Note that this recommendation is not in agreement with the policy of the US
State Department which supports maintaining Andry Rajeolina as president of
the transitional government.
Commandant Charles
Andrianasoavina,
who personally detained FJKM President Lala Rasendrahasina on 17 March (and
hit him in custody) and later violently detained Mr. Manandafy Rakotonirina
at the Carlton Hotel on 29 April, has continued to flaunt human rights with
impunity. Charles and Commandant Lylison René (who said on 24 June “Amnesty
International has no lessons to give Madagascar” – this statement was made
the day before the wife of the FJKM radio director was taken hostage to get
her husband to submit to questioning) were put in charge of the Force
d’Intervention Spéciale (FIS) on 26 June, a group that appears to answer
directly to Andry Rajoelina. Since then both were promoted to Lieutenant
Colonel and Charles was put on the board of directors of JIRAMA, the state
owned electricity and water company. Charles was in charge of a group of
FIS when they violently arrested Senator Naika Eliane on 12 September,
brutalizing her in the process.
Environmental Situation
The crisis is also having
disastrous environmental effects. Best documented is the huge increase in
exportation of illegally cut luxury woods such as rosewood and ebony,
particularly from ports in the NE. The coup d’état government has repealed
a law forbidding the export of rosewood. Partly as a result, illegal
logging is taking place deep within some of
Madagascar’s most pristine national parks,
including Masoala and Marojejy. Environmental organizations such as WWF,
Conservation International, and Wildlife Conservation Society are sounding
alarms and calling for a boycott of Malagasy luxury woods. Equally
disturbing, lemurs are being killed for sale to restaurants, starting a
bushmeat trade previously unheard of in Madagascar.
Less well documented but also
of disastrous proportions, bush fires are way up this year, already
enveloping much of
Madagascar in haze from the smoke.
Slash-and-burn agriculture and illegal forest exploitation of all sorts are
also expected to reach record levels this year.
FJKM
Environment Program
The environment work of the
FJKM church is moving forward despite the crisis, particularly the fruit
tree program. Already in 2009 we have started two new tree nurseries
(Fianarantsoa and Ranomafana). Four new orchards are in the works for 2009
(Theological schools at Ivato and Fianarantsoa, FJKM development department
units at Fianarantsoa and Antsapanana Andasibe). We continue to propagate
and evaluate the 175 varieties of fruit trees brought from
Florida. In August we grafted 5 of our 6 varieties of
persimmon so should have enough this year to plant at our nurseries and in
church orchards. One species new to
Madagascar
that seems to have particular promise is the canistel, a south American
fruit that tolerates low rainfall and grows well in soils of relatively low
fertility. This year we have a crop of a hundred or so fruits from two
trees so should be able to get the rootstocks that we need for grafting.
In late September we held a
technical training course for tree nursery managers. The highlight was a
field trip to Beambiaty, a town S of Tsiroanomandidy where the people have
made good money over the years growing tangerines. All who visit Beambiaty
are amazed at the productivity of the tangerine orchards.
Next Monday we start our third
year of teaching a practical course in gardening and horticulture at the
Ivato theological school. This year we plan to get some bee hives set up on
campus and to finish the orchard. We also will be putting in 4 wells and
providing seeds, tools and fertilizer to encourage the students to grow
their own vegetable gardens.
Two new projects that I (Dan)
am particularly excited about are extension projects at Ambohimitombo and
Mahajery. Ambohimitombo is about 50 km E of Ambositra, in an area where the
major economic activity is making and transporting moonshine. I have been
there about once a year for many years now. We have long felt the need to
do something for the people there but found it difficult due to
inaccessibility. Now we have trained two young people from Ambohimitombo to
act as local technicians to help establish work with 20 farmers to help them
improve their vegetable gardens and orchards. We will get the project
started with a training in November.
Mahajery is a place about 30
km N of Moramanga where the FJKM church has provided land for former leprosy
patients to grow crops to make a living from the land. PC(USA) has provided
funding to help the 8 families become self sufficient by growing rice,
vegetables, and fruit trees, and raising rabbits. I am excited about the
integrated nature of the project and the opportunity to help the people
involved.
Health
Program Update
The FJKM Community Health
Program is beginning a new phase of work with 8 community health villages
associated with the Ambalavao and Ambovombe Centre dispensaries. Community
health volunteers were trained in health education techniques about diarrhea
and malaria prevention. They have just completed household surveys in
their villages and will be doing a participatory community health assessment
in November. The surveys and community assessment will help the communities
determine their main health needs and make plans to overcome them. The FJKM
will work closely with the community health volunteers and villagers to help
them achieve their goals.
Training the community health
volunteers in July was an exciting privilege. The volunteers ranged from
those in their 20s to those in their 60s. While some were very well
educated, others had not graduated from high school. Yet they all shared a
dedication to serving their communities and a desire to learn how to improve
the health of those around them. For many of them, their service was an
outpouring of their faith and commitment to Christ.
A safe drinking water project
is underway in the Ambovombe Centre villages to provide 10 new wells. One
well will be located at the FJKM dispensary and 9 will be located in the
surrounding community health villages. At this time, the villagers are
getting water far from the village from sources that are not safe. We hope
to have the wells completed in early 2010.
Despite the crisis, the FJKM
AIDS program was able to train the graduating class of pastors in June and
July. We will begin training the 2009-2010 graduating class next week.
This September, Janet Guyer,
PC(USA)’s regional AIDS consultant for southern Africa,
participated in several AIDS trainings and the annual FJKM Women’s Meeting.
It was an encouraging time for sharing ideas and getting recommendations on
how to strengthen the FJKM’s program. One of the highlights was training
and establishing the Synod AIDS Committee in Fenerive Est, eastern Madagascar.
Many living with HIV and AIDS
have been severely affected by the crisis. The FJKM AIDS program is
reaching out in several ways to assist with medical and social needs. In one
instance this involved arranging a 2 day trip for a doctor to visit two
people living with HIV. They live in a village that will be cut off from
access for 5 months when the heavy rains start in November.
Prayer
Requests
Please pray:
- For the FJKM church as it
witnesses in this time of national crisis. Pray that the church will be a
faithful example of righteousness and reconciliation. Please pray that this
time of struggle will strengthen the church.
-For the branches of the FJKM
church as they minister among the people.
-For the Development
Department as it seeks to serve the needy with limited funds and complete
its restructuring process in the midst of the crisis.
-For those living with HIV and
AIDS that they might receive the care they need. That the fight against the
spread of AIDS would continue despite the crisis.
- That logistics can be worked
out to get three people from N of Moramanga to Antananarivo to get their cleft palates
surgically repaired later this month. One of the three is a woman 40 years
old who lives at Mahajery; the other two are small children.
- For all those involved in
helping find a solution to the crisis, that they might work for the well
being of the nation and the Malagasy people.
May God give us the patience
and perseverance to pray and walk with our Malagasy brothers and sisters in
Christ as they seek peace for their nation. Gal 6:9-10
Peace in Christ,
Dan and
Elizabeth Turk
