spotlight madagascar

Well, thanks to South Korea’s attempted activities in Madagascar (and a number of other causes), we have a political crisis that has been going on for months now. Today, it was announced that they’re leasing 95,000 hectares of land in the Philippines instead. For growing corn. For food security. I wonder what will happen.

In other news, Charles Taylor took the stand this week (some background on the evildoer can be found at Human Rights USA). Considering that Uganda won’t enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, how much power does the ICC actually have?

And back to Madagascar, we may be looking at elections before the end of the year.

I’ve been watching TV Plus Madagascar all morning! It’s incredible to be able to watch news in Malagasy (not French) like I used to when I lived there.

In other news, Daewoo Logistics just wanted to clear things up with all of us about their land grab; this is their official communication:

In response to the news recently published by several news papers and radios, locally or internationally, regarding the investment planning of Daewoo Logistics Corp.(DWL) in Madagascar. Daewoo Logistisc Corp. would like to officially explain current situation of the investment plan.

1. DWL corp. ,as a private investor, has a strong interest to invest in agriculture field in Madagascar.
2. For the purpose in point 1. DWL has done a land- survey to find a feasible area to cultivate.
3. At this time, there is not yet a contract on the land between DWL and Madagascar Government.
4. There is not yet any discussion about the fee because it will depend on the contract later, therefore the information released that DWL acquired a land for free is incorrect.

Antananarivo, Friday, November 21, 2008
Daewoo Logistics Corp.

A leter from Yong-Nam AHN President & CEO. Daewoo Logistics
To His Excellency Minister Marius Ratolojanahary,

Your Excellency Minister Marius Ratolojanahary,

I am honored and always deeply thankful for Your Excellency’s sincere interest and support for Daewoo Logistics Corporation as well as our subsidiary MFE, Daewoo Logistics’ legal entity found for the plantation business in Madagascar.

Your Excellency, I assume that Your Excellency along with many cabinet members, ministers and Malagasy people were heart broken and disturbed by the series of maliciously insulting jealousy articles aimed at both Madagascar and Daewoo Logistics from the Financial Times without requesting any interview with any of employees from Daewoo Logistics. Myself along with ail employees from Daewoo Logistics are also stunned and sad because of the Financial Times’ abusive articles that are full of errors with no information background.

We are very angry at the Financial Times’ one sided article aiming at the friendly cooperative business between the two countries with previous heart broken experience of colonial years. I wish to assure you that the articles from the Financial Times are totally not intended by Daewoo Logistics. They are solely responsible for manufacturing the article with their own intention.

We are however fortunate that other major medias such as Bloomberg. AP, AFP and Reuters are publishing fair and objective opinions.

We are truly committed and have strong intention to develop our plantation business between Madagascar and Daewoo Logistics so that Madagascar benefits from the project in economy development aspects.

I sincerely hope Malagasy people’s well being in addition to Your Excellency’s well being. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Your Excellency’s good health and Madagascar’s endless flourishing development.

Yong-Nam AHN
President & CEO. Daewoo Logistics
Sincerely yours,

I don’t even know where to start with this. If it smells like shit, it probably is shit. I hadn’t read any rumors that Madagascar was giving away the land for free. That was never the problem with this “deal”. The problem is that it will DESTROY the economy of Madagascar, with no benefit to ANYONE except the people that have the power and money, not to mention the effect that growing massive amounts of corn has on the land itself and how none of the proceeds or profits will be staying in the country. How can people not see this? I am flabbergasted. Every day that goes by that they’re actually considering this proposal is an insult to the people of that country, and every day that we don’t stand up and question the things like this that are happening all over the developing world… well, let’s just say we aren’t doing them any favors either.

BUT, it gets even more interesting this morning. Reuters is reporting that TGV will snatch power over the weekend if demands are not met. I’m not sure what the demands are. Democracy, maybe?

“We will wait until Saturday. If there is no reply or peaceful solution from the president, then we will put in place a transitional government,” he said.

And, finally this from Associated Press and the town I love most, Tamatave:

Madagascar authorities have arrested leaders of an anti-government movement based in the Indian Ocean island’s principal port city, according to news reports Tuesday and the country’s main opposition leader.

There are all sorts of happenings in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. Tensions have been steadily increasing between the Mayor, Andry Rajaolina and President Ravalomanana, who have opposing viewpoints about what democracy is and how one should run a country. This just happened:

From the Gulf Times: Mayor calls for Monday Strike

My glee at the cancellation of the Daewoo land deal was apparently premature, as Ravalomanana seems to want to go ahead with it, despite protests from the people and those political leaders who seem to want to actually serve them well. The AFP posted this article the other day:

AFP: Maverick mayor says Madagascar is ‘dictatorship’

Addressing more than 20,000 supporters at the historic Place du 13 Mai square on Saturday, Andry Rajoelina said “leaders who do not care about the people should not be there. We are here because we refuse to be gagged.”

Rajoelina is young, handsome and charismatic. He reminds me of a non-gun-toting Thomas Sankara, President of Burkina Faso for a tiny snippet of time, who led a revolution from 1983-1987, at which time he was brutally murdered. Look him up, he’s a really interesting character who believed in women’s rights, equality, and he even made his government officials drive themselves around in cheap cars. He died as poor as he lived, while most leaders in Africa were getting rich off the spoils of disgusting loans from institutions like the World Bank and the IMF, which should be completely shut down as far as I’m concerned.

In other news:

Speaking of the World Bank, I read this the other day:

Even the World Bank is continuing its role as a neo-colonial consensus agent by actively pursuing and financing access to ‘under-utilised land’ around the world through its International Finance Corporation.

Check out this article to learn more about land grabbing and its implications for those who have their land grabbed and those of us who may benefit from it without knowing:

MADAGASCAR: THE NEW LAND GRAB

Climate Progress (a blog)

i’ve set my google alerts to ‘daewoo madagascar’ to give me updates on their latest land deal, which will probably demolish the malagasy economy. so we can have more corn.

Daewoo plans to produce 4 million tons of corn and 500,000 tons of palm oil a year, most of which will be shipped out of impoverished Madagascar—where the World Food Program (WFP) still provides food relief.

“We will build everything from ports and railways to markets on a barren and untouched area,” said Shin Dong-Hyun of Daewoo.

read some of the articles below, i get about 10 per day.

Global trends may be spurring ‘land grab’ in poorer countries – The China Post

Another article

NY Times: Paradox of Plenty (a short interactive history of the pillaging of Africa)