GOD AT WORK IN MADAGASCAR
turk family
Madagascar Update, 12 March 2010
Dear Friends,
As we write this, all of Madagascar is waiting to see what sanctions will be announced on 17 March. The Peace and Security Commission of the African Union, supported by the United States, European Union, and others, has given the de-facto authorities until 16 March to apply the signed agreements known as the Maputo Accords and Addis Ababa Additional Agreement. If not, sanctions will be come into effect on 17 March to include travel bans, freezing of economic assets, and denial of participation in international meetings. It is anticipated that the sanctions will be applied to over 100 people associated with Madagascar’s de-facto government.
In the past day there have been calls for de-facto president Andry Rajoelina to resign. Dissent has been simmering within the gendarmerie for a long time now with accusations that the de-facto minister of defense threatened to attack a major gendarme camp if discontent gendarmes did not come back in line. The press was told to keep quiet about that matter. A few days ago a new report came out indicating that illegal logging of rosewood within northern national parks is continuing. There is evidence that the de-facto government is partially funded by taxes on the export of illegally logged rosewood.
After the ultimatum by the African Union was announced on 19 February, the de-facto authorities responded by trying to convince the international community of the merits of their unilateral approach, which differs substantially from that of the Maputo and Addis Ababa agreements. The de-facto government organized a national conference on 4-5 March that was boycotted by the major opposition groups. As a result of this conference there is anticipation that a new, enlarged government may be announced shortly, before the 16th. People are waiting to see who would want to join a government on the brink of sanctions. It does not seem that the international community or most Malagasy people are ready to accept the de-facto government’s alternative.
Street protests have never been allowed by the de-facto government. All protests in public places have been broken up with tear gas and sometimes live bullets. Since the beginning of the crisis 5 people from the FJKM church have been detained pertaining to church-related activities. All are now out of detention, though two await trial. A group of pastors has been holding worship services to pray for peace and justice. They have requested permission to hold worship services in public places but have each time been denied or moved to a decentralized location. The pastors have put in a new request for a worship service to be held this Saturday in the public park that Andry Rajoelina named ‘place of democracy’ when he was using it in early 2009 before denying permission for all who subsequently wanted to use it to campaign for democracy. The pastors have said that they want to get permission for meetings because they don’t want to lead people to get killed by security forces. When we ask people why there have not been recent street protests, people invariably tell us that everyone is afraid of being killed.
Textile businesses continue to shut down due to the cancellation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). A few weeks ago about 10 000 jobs were lost in one week.
To add to all that, Tropical Storm Hubert is dumping a lot of rain on the southeast. Early reports indicate 1 killed and over 12000 homeless. A couple of our colleagues got caught in the storm in the Ambohimitombo area but were able to get out safely yesterday.
Our work continues despite the political crisis and despite our colleagues in the development department of the FJKM being on half salary for five months.
In the environment program, for the past several months among other things we have been putting in demonstration orchards, 9 or so with over 20 trees each since June. We see having orchards as the basis for being able to set up extension work in the future. Colleagues Rolland and Germain were just in Ambohimitombo where they did followup for the extension program there. Despite Hubert they were able to see the orchards of the two local technicians and to visit the farms of several participating farmers. Rolland reported by phone from Ambositra that propagation of blueberries is well underway. We hope blueberries will eventually offer an alternative to moonshine as an economic activity in the Ambohimitombo area.
The health ministries are continuing with completion of the wells in the Ambovombe Centre area expected in April. There will be a training for new youth peer educators over the Easter break. We will also be training pastoral students from the FJKM Ambatonakanga seminary the week after Easter. Unfortunately, there are still no mosquito nets available for health volunteers to distribute.
Please pray
- for the church as it continues to minister to the Malagasy people in these difficult times;
- for the pastors leading worship services for peace and justice, that God would guide their decisions;
- for strength and guidance for those in the development department as they seek to serve while on half salary
- for the country that an acceptable transitional government can be put in place that will permit the holding of credible elections asap;
- for the Malagasy people, that sanctions would not affect them unduly and that those without work would find ways to gain a living;
- for those affected by Tropical Storm Hubert.
Peace in Christ,
Dan & Elizabeth
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