DISPATCHES Vol 66 No 8 | MADAGASCARUNITED STATES African textiles industry faces major job losses as Trump tariffs hit home 14th April 2025 Facing penalties on its exports of vanilla and textiles Madagascar could lose 2% of its GDP this year One of the world’s weakest economies, with a GDP per capita of US$509 a year, Madagascar was threatened with a 47% tariff on goods exports to the United... READ FOR FREE
Vol 62 No 25 | MADAGASCAR Economy under the weather 16th December 2021 Drought and water mismanagement are pushing the country into famine. But with no serious opposition, Rajoelina reigns on The rains are late in Madagascar – again. While over 750,000 people in the south of the island face severe hunger after three consecutive years of drought, the...
Vol 61 No 7 | MADAGASCARCOVID-19 Pre-self-isolated 2nd April 2020 Madagascar is on few international airline routes, so Covid-19 came late to the island. The authorities were able to impose quarantine on arriving travellers early, even before the...
Vol 59 No 23 | MADAGASCAR Second-round grudge match 23rd November 2018 The second round of the Madagascar presidential election on 19 December promises to be a hard fight between two sworn enemies: Marc Ravalomanana, who led the country from...
Vol 59 No 22 | MADAGASCAR Big men bid high for the top job 6th November 2018 Three ex-presidents are sparing no expense wooing some of the poorest voters in Africa. There’s a wide field, but not much choice The voters of Madagascar faced a list of 36 candidates when they went to the polls for the presidential elections on 7 November. They include an evangelical pastor,...
Vol 59 No 9 | MADAGASCAR Polls code sparks crisis 4th May 2018 Anti-government protests are spreading and threaten to reignite the island's tradition of popular revolt With presidential elections due in November, political tension has once again triggered violence on the streets of Antananarivo. On 21 April, a rally by opposition MPs under the...
Vol 58 No 9 | MADAGASCAR Corruption climate warming 28th April 2017 A cabinet reshuffle is intended to restore the government's image but Hery has an uphill task before the coming election President Hery Rajaonarimampianina is desperately trying to regain the political initiative after taking heavy blows to his government's reputation after it allowed a controversial presidential advisor to leave...
Vol 58 No 2 | MADAGASCAR Hery's hard line 20th January 2017 The three-cornered fight between the president and his predecessors looks set to continue, and with it yet more instability and conflict Just when Malagasy politics appeared to be edging towards a more consensual mood, with the last-minute passage of the 2017 budget and a distinctly upbeat December donors' meeting...
Vol 57 No 9 | MADAGASCAR Third premier lucky 29th April 2016 New Prime Minister Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana faces a key test next month when he presents his government programme to Parliament. It will be a challenge to sustain majority...
Vol 56 No 12 | MADAGASCAR Impeaching number one 12th June 2015 Accident prone President Rajaonarimampianina’s problems may see ex-President Ravolamanana return to centre-stage Eighteen months of political quarrels came to a head when Parliament voted on 26 May to impeach President Hery Rajaonarimampianina. Since he took office in January 2014, he...