Ex-president’s return thwarted as disc jockey rival shuts airport

Marc Ravalomanana’s Indian Ocean island has a long history of volatile politics, and the air stand-off shows how personal rivalry can stand in the way of stability.

Mr Ravalomanana has been exiled in South Africa since being toppled in 2009. When he tried to return last year, he was stopped at Johannesburg’s airport after aviation authorities in Madagascar wrote to say he was not welcome.

Thousands of Ravalomanana supporters awaited his return at the capital’s airport on Saturday. But a government minister told reporters there that the politician who toppled him with military backing, Andry Rajoelina, had issued a notice closing the country’s main airports to prevent the former leader’s return.

Ravalomanana supporters slowly left the airport and security forces fired tear gas to force the last of them to retreat.

A frustrated Mr Ravalomanana at first refused to leave the plane after it landed back in Johannesburg, but after more than two hours, he agreed to be escorted to a hotel in Pretoria by South African government officials.

Hours earlier Mr Ravalomanana, his wife, two aides, journalists and passengers not linked to him had boarded a commercial flight.

Mr Ravalomanana said he wanted to return to Madagascar to work for peace and democracy in his troubled homeland. He has already accepted a transitional government headed by Mr Rajoelina that is supposed to oversee elections next year.

On Friday Mr Ravalomanana had told reporters in Johannesburg that if he were to regain power in that vote, he would put into practice what he said he had learned during exile in South Africa about respecting the rule of law and freedom of expression.

South Africa saw brutal white minority rule peacefully toppled in 1994 and multi-racial democracy installed through negotiations and power-sharing.

A central figure in Madagascar’s politics, Didier Ratsiraka, took over from military rulers in 1975 and led the country for 16 years, presiding over a socialist, highly centralised state. But he lost key support because of a deadly confrontation between troops and demonstrators in 1991, and was defeated in elections the next year.

He emerged again to win in 1997 and the next election in 2001 pitted him against Mr Ravalomanana.

The results were disputed and fighting split the country between two governments, two capitals and two presidents before Mr Ratsiraka fled to France in 2002.

On Friday Mr Ravalomanana told reporters he had nothing to do with orders to close the radio station or fire on demonstrators.

Following Mr Rajoelina’s military-backed coup, Mr Ravalomanana was convicted in absentia of conspiracy to commit murder in a case related to the turmoil during the overthrow that forced him to leave. Mr Ravalomanana called the tribunal appointed by Mr Rajoelina illegitimate.

Security officials in Madagascar had said the toppled president would be arrested if he returned.