Police in Madagascar have banned all political rallies in the capital, Antananarivo, ahead of planned demostrations by the opposition.
The opposition, under the banner of Miara-manonja – Malagasy for “Let’s Make Waves Together” – are calling for the withdrawal of the security forces deployed outside the home of former president Marc Ravalomanana and protest against rising unemployment and poverty.
They also want the Malagasy Broadcasting System, a television and radio station owned by the former president, to be allowed to operate.
Ravalomanana, who governed East African country between 2002 and 2009, was ousted in 2009 by a military coup.
Ravalomanana, 71, was defeated by current president Andry Rajoelina in the presidential elections of December 2018. The international community prevented Ravalomanana from running for the previous elections in 2013 following the violence that erupted in 2009, which caused hundreds of deaths and led to the blow of State which then brought Rajoelina himself to power.
Rajoelina and Ravalomanana have been locked in a fiercely-personal duel for power.
Madagascar is a vanilla and precious redwood rich nation.
