Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANTANANARIVO414
2007-04-27 10:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Antananarivo
Cable title:  

TULEAR RIOTS CONTINUE, OTHER CITIES ON LOW SIMMER

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM MA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0016
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAN #0414/01 1171053
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 271053Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4706
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0886
RUEHPL/AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS 0342
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1014
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANTANANARIVO 000414 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/FO, INR/AA, AND DRL
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF CKOLLMAR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM MA
SUBJECT: TULEAR RIOTS CONTINUE, OTHER CITIES ON LOW SIMMER

REF: A) ANTANANARIVO 409 B) ANTANANARIVO 362

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES D. MCGEE FOR REASONS 1.4B AND D

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANTANANARIVO 000414

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/FO, INR/AA, AND DRL
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF CKOLLMAR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM MA
SUBJECT: TULEAR RIOTS CONTINUE, OTHER CITIES ON LOW SIMMER

REF: A) ANTANANARIVO 409 B) ANTANANARIVO 362

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES D. MCGEE FOR REASONS 1.4B AND D


1. (C) SUMMARY: In the wake of unrest in Tamatave, political
opposition groups are trying to take advantage of a string of
student-initiated protests over poor university conditions
and black-outs in a number of coastal cities -- particularly
Tulear (REF A) -- to further their anti-referendum agenda.
Following a week of minor street protests and skirmishes
between Mayor of Tamatave Roland Ratsiraka's supporters and
security forces (REF B),the coastal city of Tamatave is
calm. Security forces in Tamatave are preparing for possible
protests preceding Ratsiraka's hearing before the magistrate
scheduled for next week. French Ambassador Alain Le Roi
continues to believe Ratsiraka's arrest was politically
motivated and could incite waves of violence throughout the
country, although a well-placed source close to Ratsiraka
privately acknowledged to Ambassador McGee the embezzlement
charges are likely true. END SUMMARY.

OPPOSITION PIGGYBACKS ON STUDENT PROTESTS IN COASTAL CITIES
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


2. (SBU) Political opposition groups are trying to take
advantage of a string of student-initiated protests over poor
university conditions and black-outs to further their
anti-referendum agenda in a number of coastal cities around
the country:

a) Tensions in Tulear (REF A) are worsening. Mobs
reportedly vandalized shops and businesses owned by highland
"Merina" people in the city. Gendarmes contacts also said
the mobs were headed toward the Magro facility in Tulear
(Magro is one of President Ravalomanana's companies).
Student protesters have demanded the release of student
leaders among the 12 people arrested thus far in exchange for
the regional director of the Penitentiary Administration
still being held hostage. Contacts report local politicians
plan to join the protests to support or protest the recently

approved constitutional referendum. An AmCit couple is
registered as resident in Tulear; as of April 27 ConsOff was
unable to reach them to confirm whether they were presently
in the province.

b) On April 19, students at the University of Antsiranana
(also known as Diego Suarez) went on strike to protest the
delayed payment of scholarships, insufficient study
materials, and power outages. Police released tear gas and
fired shots into the air to calm the crowd. A student leader
and three civilians were arrested April 20 and released 24
hours later. Police are not allowing students or opposition
groups to demonstrate in the city's public plaza, but 30
opposition members have demonstrated in the streets while
students have continued to demonstrate peacefully on
university grounds. Diego Suarez is reportedly calm at this
time.

c) Motivated by stories of their fellow students in Diego
Suarez and Tulear, students in Majunga went on strike April
20 to demand the payment of scholarships and improved study
conditions and materials. Local police are circulating on
university grounds to maintain order.

TAMATAVE CALM AND AWAITING RATSIRAKA'S HEARING
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


3. (U) Roland Ratsiraka's hearing before a judge in Tamatave
to answer charges of embezzlement and abuse of power is
scheduled to take place next week; the trial date has not yet
been set. When asked for a reaction to Ratsiraka's arrest,
President Ravalomanana said upon his return from Germany
April 24, "We have an independent judiciary in Madagacar.
Tamatave's justice system made its decision; now let them do
their work." In response to criticism the arrest was
politically motivated, the President reminded the public that
Ratsiraka was not the only mayor arrested for corruption; a
mayor from Antananarivo province was also recently arrested
under similar charges. Ratsiraka has protested the poor
prison conditions under which he is being held as a violation
of his human rights. Media reports over the "special
treatment" Ratsiraka is receiving in prison (such as having
his own cell and daily family visits) are conflicting, but in
general Madagacar is known for the dismal state of its
prisons.


4. (U) Following a week of minor street protests and
skirmishes between Ratsiraka supporters and security forces,
Tamatave is calm and shops have re-opened. Security forces
have blockaded the sidewalk around the prison in anticipation
of protests surrounding Ratsiraka's hearing next week. Local
communities on the outskirts of Tamatave have set up security
teams on the lookout for any spillover problems. Post has
heard reports of anti-Merina (the people of the highland
region) sentiment circulating around the city. An unknown
number of leaflets were distributed calling for a repeat of
1972, when the coastal people of Tamatave drove out many of
the Merina in their communities.


5. (C) French Ambassador Alain Le Roi reiterated to
Ambassador McGee April 25 that whether or not the charges
against Ratsiraka are true, his arrest is a political witch
hunt on the part of the Ravalomanana administration that
could incite widespread violent protest. He argued the
President is overlooking any number of corrupt officials in
his own administration to go after his political opponent.
In a separate meeting, a well-placed source close to
Ratsiraka privately admitted to Ambassador McGee the
embezzlement charges against the mayor are likely true.

COMMENT
- - - -


6. (SBU) Post reiterates its belief that isolated public
frustration over Roland Ratsiraka's arrest, poor university
conditions, and black-outs is being fanned by opportunistic
opposition leaders in coastal cities. It is a common trend
in Madagascar for opposition groups to piggyback on student
protests to move their agenda forward. Possibly motivated by
these incidents around the country, Herizo Razafimahaleo, a
former presidential candidate, is reportedly planning to hold
meetings among his supporters in Fianarantsoa in the coming
days. END COMMENT.

MCGEE
McGEE