So many countries in Africa are already living in the second leg of their short history, which began after the war. The first stage was accelerated decolonization and the attainment of independence, which took place in an atmosphere of optimism, enthusiasm and general euphoria. The people were convinced that freedom would have resulted in a more solid roof over the head, in a bowl of rice more abundant in the first pair of shoes in his life. That there would be a miracle of the multiplication of loaves, fish and wine. Conversely nothing happened like that, there was indeed a whopping influx of population in cities that lack of food soon, schools and work. Optimism gave way to disappointment and pessimism.
All bitterness, anger and hatred poured on the elites, whose main job was to get rich quickly. In a country with no major private industry, where the plantations belonging to foreign banks to foreign capital, the only way to make a fortune and political career.
The misery of the lower classes on one side and greed and the greed of those other high end up creating a tense atmosphere poisoned and that the army is no exception. Wear the shoes of the defenders of the weak and the oppressed, the military come from the barracks and seized power.
Ryszard Kapuscinkski, about Nigerian coup of 1966, in "Ebony"
Monday evening
Delphin was not with us to dinner tonight, and so, the only male at the table, it happened to me the honor to start eating first. Taking the rice m'è got a text message, but because of the solemnity of the moment I let the phone vibrate in his pocket, and I just had to order dinner. It was a message of the Crisis Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who wrote of "Iavoloha avoided", the presidential residence of Ravalomanana, just outside Antananarivo. Per se was not a great news: Even if I was in Tana I would not even crossed my mind to go on sightseeing trips to Iavoloha at this time. The fact that Roma have taken the trouble to send SMS Italians, however, means something was more serious than usual. A few minutes later I received a call from a fixed number of Roma who did not know, and have jumped right there, fearing it as the Crisis Unit with worse news. Instead it was simply that David called me from our new office, to tell me that running was out on the news that the military took power. I did read the news agency, and I translated on the fly to Delphin, who had just returned. No word yet if this is a coup "neutral", or rather a presa di potere della fazione pro-Andry. Quest'ultima ipotesi mette qualche pensiero in più, visto che non si sa come reagirebbe in tal caso l'ala legalista dell'esercito, e cosa farà Ravalomanana. Con qualche altra telefonata poi abbiamo saputo che Andry oggi ha dichiarato di aver ricevuto 50 milioni di dollari di finanziamenti internazionali, non si sa bene da chi e perché. È probabile che tale dichiarazione, che lascia intendere uno spostamento degli equilibri internazionali sfavorevole a Ravalomanana, sia stata la mossa determinante per far decidere i militari a muoversi dopo tanto temporeggiare. Andiamo a dormire senza altre notizie.
Martedì sera
Stamattina siamo partiti presto per andare, come already planned for days to visit the farmers of Befeta, a rural community about forty miles from Fianarantsoa. To cover that distance by car, it takes more or less than 5 hours, and again I was reminded Kapuscinsky, who wrote that in Africa the distances are measured in hours and days, rather than miles.
In fact more than a trip into space is really going to Befeta a journey through time, not only for the duration, but also because we get further away from the asphalt, from the power supply from the world in which they work the phones, to reach Places of another century, where people live without tractors or agricultural irrigation systems, and you move on foot or in carts pairs of zebu. We had a very intense day, between the host encoded by unchanging ritual traditions, a wonderful communal meal served on a floor covered with hand woven tzihi , meetings, songs written for the occasion (including an amazing children's village sang verses about their experiences of micro-credit), and dances and parties.
As soon as we came into the world where cell phones work tonight, I called in Italy to ask what has happened today, 400 km north of here, and whether a war had broken out in the meantime or not.
power have taken the military pro-TGV, for a few hours after having surrounded the presidential palace, and gave to Andry soon after. This was the hypothesis that until recently we thought the most disturbing, and yet it seems that Ravalomanana, rather than resist until his death in his fort with his soldiers as he always said, has resigned, or otherwise has transferred power to the military, and that the military wing legalistic passively follow events per hour without batting an eyelid. In short, the long institutional clash appears over, with the victory of Andry across the board.
The first reaction, especially among the Italians, was a great relief, if not openly rejoicing. Not because it sided for an oligarch or another, but simply because he now has averted the worst is over confrontation, and we got rid of that constant background of uncertainty of recent days. For
paradoxical mechanisms of the Western media, but the news out right now on the main Italian newspapers and then began to be alarmed friends and relatives. It takes a little 'commitment to calm everyone.
Wednesday morning
This morning, before another trip planned to the national park of Rano Mafana, I managed to get onto the Internet to read a little 'news. The editorial Sobik, with a clever play on words and a cynical humor and sadly typical of Madagascar, about a country that wants to be a Republique but it confirms once Ruepublique , a public-street, where there has never been a government or a president who has lost the elections, and the power has always been renewed with the motions of the square more or less violent, and the resulting fluctuations and determinants military.
is the most bitter note of this whole affair, which led to a new wound armed with democratic aspirations of this country that, despite having had his '72, student movements, decolonization, political history and civil society certainly more mature and lives of so many other African contexts, however, continues to be a democracy perpetually adolescent. Delphin, which has virtually no confidence in both the oligarchs and the Law each event with a cynical and almost amused detachment, I am surprised when he tells me with bitterness, "as Madagascar, I would have preferred that Ravalomanana had made to kill to defend his constitutional role as he promised, rather than cede power in that way."
is comforting to know that the battles are over, but at the same time, the Malagasy have to deal with the humiliation of seeing their country's fate decided, once again, by a group of mutinous general.
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