Stories about Madagascar from October, 2010
Madagascar: Village Burned Down by Highwaymen during Cattle Robbery
The villages of Ampasimbe and Ankaenihenibe in Madagascar were attacked by gangs of highwaymen [Fr] (Dahalo in Malagasy) that made away with 18 and 15 zebus respectively. As the Ampasimbe villagers retaliated against the robbers, their village was burned down entirely, partly because of the powerful wind guts at the time.
Africa: Journalists Still Struggling for Press Freedom.
Reporters Without Borders published the Press Freedom Index today (10/20/2010). The section of the report on Africa mentions that Eritrea is last for the 4th consecutive year and that amongst the French-speaking African nations, Rwanda, DR of Congo, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire and Madagascar show worrisome signs for press freedom. [fr]
Madagascar: Citizens Reporting of the Latest Clash Between Armed Forces and Protesters.
Blogger Jentilisa gives a detailed eyewitness account [mg] of the latest acts of violence [fr] between security forces and protesters on October 18th in Antananarivo, Madagascar. An estimated 1,500 people protested in front of the court where members of the opposition were to appear. Here is a citizen video of the protest before the...
Africa: Misrepresentation of Africa in Movies
Africa is a Country discusses the film Madagascar in the context of Africa's image in movies: “It doesn’t take a microscopic reading to see that Madagascar is a colonial narrative. The West is represented as the norm, and Africa is represented as savage and exotic to promote the idea of...
Somali Pirates Captures Taiwanese Fishing Boat off Madagascar Coast
Somali pirates may have seized Taiwanese fishing ship Feng Guo and its 14 crew members off the east coast of Madagascar. Le Matinal adds that Mauritius PM will speak out today in favor of an inter-regional strategy against piracy [fr]. Feng Guo had a fishing license issued by authority in Mauritius.
Madagascar: A Referendum on the New Constitution Proposal
A referendum on a new constitution has been scheduled for November 17. The holding of a referendum is still heavily disputed by both the opposition and the international community. Malagasy bloggers have dissected and analyzed some of the changes suggested in the proposal and offer their own perspectives.
Sahel Region: On Paying Ransom for Hostages
Hostage-taking by a militant Islamist group called Al-Qaeda in The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is on the rise in the Sahel region which spans across several countries in the north of Africa. In order to free hostages, governments and companies have put political pressure on the African nations involved, or opted to pay ransoms directly. However, the strategy of paying ransom is often decried as ineffective and dangerous in the long run.
