China is nowadays among the most important investors on the oil sector in Madagascar. A Chinese company named SUNPEC (Sino Union Petrolium Corporation) is among of them. This company, which belongs to the wealthy Hong Kong businessman Dr. Hui Chi Ming, invests in Madagascar through four oil drilling companies: Madagascar Energy International Ltd (MEIL), Madagascar Petroleum International, Madagascar North Petroleum, and Madagascar North Petroleum.
Recently, SUNPEC has hired Mr. Yves-Roger Rajoelina as “special counsellor”. Yves-Roger Rajoelina is a retired colonel of the Malagasy army and is the father of Andry Nirina Rajoelina, the president of the transition. This choice appears to be very strategic for SUNPEC and its businesses in Madagascar because it has announced on October to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HK Ex) that it has discovered a huge quantity of oil in its oil block n°: 3,113. The company which runs the 3,113 oil block, Kaiyuan Petroleum (a sub-contractor of SUNPEC) discovered on October 08th, 2009 a light good quality oil in the depth of 3,286 meters. Due to such discovery, the drilling operations were taken back. The drilling was initially scheduled to reach 3,980 meters but has been stopped due to problems of pressure.
SUNPEC holds 43.42% of 3,113 oil block. Hong Kong & China Gas holds 32.8%, and Yanchang 23.78%. SUNPEC also runs three other oil blocks: 2,101 – 2,104 – 3,112. Dr. Hui Chi Ming is the owner of a bank in Madagascar: BICM (International Bank China Madagascar).
We are now facing the second day of the negotiation round organized by the ICG (International Contact Group) in Addis-Abeba. This negotiation session which will last three days, is the third, and likely the last, round which aims to settle the Malagasy political crisis. The negotiation meetings will take place in the Africa hall (premises of the AU) and led by the Jean Ping, president of the AU commission.
The official purpose of this third round is to validate the resolution taken on October 06th in Madagascar (Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo) and to proceed to the power-sharing of the new government of consensus. This resolution has triggered the anger of the former president Marc Ravalomanana because it has clearly stated that the presidency of the transition was “given” to Andry Nirina Rajoelina. The AU emissary, Ouedraogo Ablassé, has even publicly declared that the ICG officialy recognized Andry Nirina Rajoelina as the president of the transition. “We will never agree with the fact that a putchist gets access to power, it is against the International law like the Algiers convention” He said. “It will create a very dangerous jurisprudence for all African countries” He added. According to Marc Ravalomanana, Ouedraogo Ablassé did not have the right to announce publicly the resolution because it could not be enforced without the signatures (the validation) of the four heads of movements.”Why should I come to Addis-Abeba if everything has already been decided by the ICG?” He asked.
Yesterday, during a visit to Marc Ravalomanana in Addis-Abeba, Jean Ping has declared that Ouedraogo Ablassé had spoken on his behalf. According to the president of the AU commission, the ICG has not validated the October 06th resolution yet. This sudden volte-face of the AU puts back on the table all the elements of the negotiation. Since yesterday, it has been clear that the negotiation round would be very hard because each opponent stands on their position.
Andry Nirina Rajoelina’s movement:
For the president of the HAT (High Authority of the Transition) and his followers, the outcomes from the October 06th resolution had to remain unchanged. The principle of having Andry Nirina Rajoelina as the president of the transition is definitively acquired. They also consider that their movement must have all the ministries of sovereignty and the key departments, to enable them to conduct “normally” the transition.
Marc Ravalomanana’s movement:
They stick on their steady position: “Transition without Andry rajoelina”. Like the Andry Nirina Rajoelina’s movement, they also require all the ministries of sovereignty and the key departments. They propose a new person as president of the transition: Raymon Ranjeva, who served as a judge on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) from 1991 till February 2009.
Raymond Ranjeva
Didier Ignace Ratsiraka’s movement:
They propose a collegiate presidency of the transition.
Zafy Albert’s movement:
They always insist on the fact that the most important is to focus on national reconciliation.
The militaries who are keeping the Ambohijatovo Democracy Square, have just opened fire in order to make people scatter. Now, Ambohijatovo is full of tear-gas.
People got panic.
Early this morning, the Zafy movement has denied the assumption that its movement will take part into today’s rally in Democracy square in Ambohijatovo. They said that they prior negotiations through sending a negotiation offer to the heads of each movement (Ratsiraka – Ravalomanana – Rajoelina).
On the light of the above, today’s rally might fail and the legalists may end up coming back to Magro again ….
LACK OF SOLIDARITY or NEW STRATEGY?
It is today that the leaders of the three main political movements (Ratsiraka – Zafy – Ravalomanana) and their supporters, will try to go to the so-called “Democracy square” in Ambohijatovo (Antananarivo) in order to make an exceptionnal anti – Andry (TGV) Rajoelina / Monja Zafitsimivalo Roindefo rally. The main purpose of the rally is to express their rejection of the new Roindefo government.
Now, there is a lot of heavily armed soldiers who are waiting in and around Ambohijatovo democracy square.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TODAY?
Following the proposal from the three movements (Zafy – Ratsiraka – Ravalomanana), yesterday in Carlton Hotel, to give the power to militaries to settle the political deadlock created by the intransigence of the Rajoelina movement to make concessions on the power-sharing of the positions of president, vice-president, prime minister of the transitional administration, the Malagasy Army has just made an official declaration today at the International Conference Centre of Ivato. This declaration has been brought by the Major General Claude Ravelomanana, Secretary of State of the National Gendarmerie, and is stated in seven parts:
Part 01: The Malagasy Army is united;
Part 02: The Malagasy Army denounces all act aiming to destabilize the solidarity of the Malagasy Army;
Part 03: In compliance with the resolutions of tyhe military assizes, the Malagasy Army does not get involved in politics;
Part 04: The Malagasy Army advocates the National Sovereignty;
Part 05: The Armed Forces refuse the establishment of a Mili tary Executive;
Part 06: The Armed Forces will condemn all appointment which have not been granted with a prior authorization from the relevant authorities within the Malagasy Army;
Part 07: The Armed Forces maintain a neutral stand and remain the defender of the supreme interest of the nation.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to all sides involved in the political crisis in Madagascar to maintain their commitment to the power-sharing agreement reached last month and to end their deadlock on the composition of a government of national unity.
Mr. Ban “reiterates that there is no alternative to a political agreement and a consensual transition,” according to a statement issued on Thursday evening by his spokesperson. “He calls on all parties and all sectors of the Malagasy society to remain calm and allow for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.”
The Maputo Political Agreement, reached on 9 August, commits the signatories to devise a government of national unity following months of turmoil and political violence in the Indian Ocean country.
But in the weeks since the pact was struck in the Mozambican capital, the parties have not been able to agree on who should serve as president, vice-president and prime minister in any transitional government.
In the statement, Mr. Ban appealed “to the President of the Haute Autorité de Transition in Madagascar and other interested parties to adhere to the spirit” of the agreement made in Maputo.
“The United Nations will remain engaged through the Joint Mediation Team for Madagascar and is ready to support the implementation of the Maputo agreements and stand by the Malagasy people as the country returns to normalcy,” it added.
The Maputo pact was struck following talks that were mediated by the former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano and a joint team comprising the UN, the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Organization of the Francophonie.
It was signed by current and former leaders in Madagascar – Andry Rajoelina, Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy.
Since the start of the year Madagascar has been engulfed by political tensions, which have led to widespread violence and killings and numerous politically motivated arrests. Mr. Ravalomanana resigned as president in early March amid a dispute with Mr. Rajoelina, the mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, and now the leader of the country.
(article from UN News Centre)
According to the recent press conference made by the trade minister (August 24), Jean Claude Rakotonirina, it is obvious that “transitional solidarity” is not anymore the watchword for the current leaders in Madagascar. Actually, this latter has accused 02 important members of the HAT (High Authority of the Transition): Pety Rakotoniaina and Jean Eugène Voninahitsy, for illegaly bringing out the rice which belongs to TIKO Group, and selling them with a unit price of MGA 500 per Kgs.
On August 20, a restricted cabinet meeting decided to entrust the sale of the TIKO rice to the trade ministry with a unit price of MGA 800 per Kgs. In this press conference, the minister has declared that:
- the looting on the TIKO rice still keeps on at the port of Toamasina;
- Jean Eugène Voninahitsy and Pety Rakotoniaina contatced him on August 21 to have their rice quota with a price of MGA 500 but he has never accepted to grant them with a market approval;
- nowadays, instead of 34,000 T of TIKO rice, there is only 10,000 T;
- the former entity which has been entrusted to sell the TIKO rice (the operational cell, set up by a decree), still keeps on to do it with a price of MGA 500 per Kgs, and refuses to hand over all the documents (even if it has been duly and officially notified about the new decisions);
- nowadays, the trade ministry has no data about the amount recovered following the sale of the rice made by this operational cell (such data is requested by the lawyers of TIKO group);
- the Malagasy state will lose about MGA 8,000,000,000 if the TIKO rice is still sold with a unit price of MGA 500 per Kgs;
- the members of this operational cell (constituted by officers from the ministry of justice, ministry of finance, ministry of homeland security, and people from “civil society”), will be suspended from their duties.
The current PDS (president of the special delegation – a sort of acting mayor) of Fianarantsoa replied during a press conference yesterday (August 31) that he has just bought rice like anyone. According to him, he has just made rice trade like everybody. He did not deny that he has “touched” the rice of TIKO, but he has stressed on the fact that he has done all the operations in compliance with all the procedures and the rules of trade. Is Pety Rakotoniaina a rice dealer or a PDS? As far as I know, the duties of a PDS are not compatible with private trade and businesses. Mixing public affairs and private business is very dangerous, the former president, Marc Ravalomanana knows it very well ….
Pety Rakotonina, PDS of Fianarantsoa
Pety Rakotoniaina also counter-attacked with the allegation that the minister of trade has also stolen 1,850 T of the TIKO rice to sell them after with a price of MGA 500 per Kgs. The PDS of Fianarantsoa declared that he has all the proofs about such illegal transaction.
A very important claim from the Ravalomanana movement (the “legalistics”) was fullfilled today: Manandafy Rakotonirina was released today morning at 09.00am Madagascar time (06.00am GMT) from his detention residency in Mantasoa. Such release was possible because he has finally accepted to sign a commitment letter which obliged him not to get involved in any political events which may create political and social tensions in Madagascar during the period of the transition (15 months from the day Andry Rajoelina, Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka and Zafy Albert, signed the Maputo convention), yesterday evening. In this letter, the last prime minister of the president Marc Ravalomanana, agreed that he will respect the Maputo convention.
He arrived at the International airport of Ivato in the afternoon in order to join the members of the Ravalomanana delegation who were scheduled to take a flight for Maputo. The police authorities of the airport immediately notified him that he can not leave the country because a prohibition of exit against him,was still in force. After some phone calls to the ministry of justice, the prosecutor, and the direct intervention of the ministry of interior, Manandafy Rakotonirina, who looked very exhausted could finally take his flight with the Ravalomanana movement.
Mrs. Ihanta Andriamandrato (who has been recently released against the signing of the famous commitment letter), Mr. Harinaivo Randrianantoandro (he also has been recently released), Mr. Mamy Rakotoarivelo (former TIM’s MP), and Rev. Andriamanampy (head of the political party AM3FM), were also part of the Ravalomanana delegation for Maputo II.
The delegation led by Andry Rajoelina also left Madagascar today afternoon for Maputo. This delegation is the most important in terms of number because it is composed by many members from the HAT (High Authority of Transition) and from the current government. The prime minister, Monja Roindefo is also part of the delegation. The delegations led by zafy Albert and Didier Ratsiraka remained unchanged.
The meeting of the four movements will start tomorrow in Maputo. This event which is widely known as “Maputo II” will be about the distribution of the “new political positions” which were created by the Maputo convention (Maputo I).
Is there a new law which definitely bans the use of photo or video cameras in public? I really want to know because I have the feeling that, nowadays, there is a huge suspicion against people who take pictures or videos like bloggers and journalists.
Due to all the recent “terrorist acts” (which can be sum up as the last minute discovery of small-scale bombs) which occured in Antananarivo, security forces keep an eye open for trouble. Anyone who looks like a terrorist, a spy or a mercenary, is immediately arrested.
Can bloggers be considered as terrorists because of the harm they create with their posts? Can bloggers be considered as mercenaries because they look weird? (Do I?) Can bloggers be considered as spies because they take pictures and videos?
Today, our friend, Jentilisa wanted to take some pictures of some policemen, in Antanimena (downtown of Antananarivo), who confiscated banners from some legalist ralliers who were on their way to join the MAGRO place (Ankorondrano – downtown of Antananarivo). The policemen saw him picturing them. They wanted to confiscate his camera but Jentilisa did not accept. Finally, they let him go but warned him “Tadidiko ialahy!” (I will remember you!).
This is not a isolated case, such misadventure has already happened to many bloggers since the beginning of this crisis but till now, we can all admit that we are lucky …
