Madagascar - The African Mirror

Mar

2024

Madagascar cyclone Gamane kills at least 18, displaces thousands

A tropical cyclone that swept across the island of Madagascar this week killed at least 18 people and displaced thousands more, the country's disaster management office said. Tropical cyclone Gamane, which crossed the northeast of Madagascar on Wednesday and Thursday, displaced more than 20,000 people, the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) said in a report. Three others were injured and four were still missing, it added. Gamane made landfall north of Vohémar in northeast Madagascar on Wednesday morning with average winds of 150 km per hour and gusts of 210 km per hour, BNGRC said late on…

Feb

2024

By GRANT JOSEPH

Madagascar: giant tortoises have returned 600 years after they were wiped out

ENVIRONMENT

A six-year-old project to return giant tortoises to the wild in Madagascar could result in thousands of the 350kg megaherbivores re-populating the island for the first time in 600 years. The first group of Aldabra giant tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) were brought in from the Seychelles in 2018, and have been reproducing on their own since. Ecologist Grant Joseph explains how reintroducing this tortoise to areas degraded by cattle grazing will help restore the island’s forests, grassy woodlands and shrublands of the past. It could also help prevent devastating forest fires in future. GRANT JOSEPH, Research Scientist, FitzPatrick Institute of African…

Dec

2023

By SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Madagascar is not a movie, and Marie Kolo is making that clear

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

“OUR national anthem is not, I like to move it,” declared Marie Kolo, her words echoing a deep-seated desire to uplift the true image of her country, a far cry from the animated jungles and dancing lemurs of Hollywood's creation. In the island nation, Kolo's name has become emblematic of climate activism, social entrepreneurship and ecofeminism. Her fight for years now has been for the identity of Madagascar and its people as part of the diverse and rich tapestry of Africa. "When I talk about my country, some people don't even know where it is," she lamented. "They ask if…

Dec

2023

By The African Mirror

Madagascar leader wins presidential vote, constitutional court says

NEWS

MADAGASCAR'S incumbent President Andry Rajoelina was declared the winner of last month's election by the country's High Constitutional Court, which handed him a third term after dismissing various challenges to provisional results. "Andry Rajoelina is elected as the president of the Republic of Madagascar and is taking his functions as soon as the swearing (in is conducted)," said court head Florent Rakotoarisoa. He received 58.96% of the votes cast, the court said. The challenges to the electoral body's provisional count that were dismissed included one from the runner-up, lawmaker Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko. He got 14.39% of the vote, according to the…

Nov

2023

By The African Mirror

Madagascar’s 2023 presidential election is crucial for the island’s future, but it’s off to a rocky start

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MADAGASCAR is set to elect its president on 16 November 2023, for the next five years. There’s a lot at stake. I’ve studied Madagascar’s politics – focusing on democratisation and political transitions – and believe that this election is crucial for the consolidation, or deepening, of democracy. ADRIEN RATSIMBAHARISON, Professor of Political Science, Benedict College Democratic consolidation is vital. It fosters political stability, protects individual rights, and ensures that power is exercised by elected representatives who are accountable to the people. Madagascar has, over the past couple of decades, struggled to consolidate its democracy. The so-called 2009 coup d'état –…

Oct

2023

By The African Mirror

Madagascar presidential candidate shows injury after opposition rally teargassed

NEWS

FORMER Madagascar president Marc Ravalomanana said he had sustained a leg injury when police and soldiers fired teargas to disperse a gathering of his supporters and those of other candidates challenging the incumbent president. Ravalomanana, who is among 11 candidates cleared to challenge President Andry Rajoelina in elections set for Nov. 9, showed on his Facebook page a photo of an injury on his left leg with blood dripping from it. It was not immediately clear what specifically caused the injury. A spokesperson for Ravalomanana did not immediately respond when sought for comment. Police and other government officials were not…

Jul

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

The rise of Nigerian rugby

SPORT

AFTER a long absence from serious regional or international rugby - dominated in Africa by South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Madagascar and Tunisia - Nigeria has startled stalwarts in the African rugby scene by making it into a qualifying tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. A recent surge in performance indicates a promising future for the sport in Africa's most populous nation, with the Black Stallions just one tournament away from securing a spot in the 2024 Olympics. The team's talent, determination - and a new coach in Steve Lewis - were all on display at the Mauritius…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

World Bank extends $150 mln to Mozambique to aid Cyclone Freddy recovery

NEWS

THE World Bank has moved $150 million of the funds it has earmarked for Mozambique projects to help fund the southern African nation's efforts to recover from the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy. The World Bank logo is seen at the 2023 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, U.S., April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz One of the deadliest storms to hit the continent in the last two decades, Freddy ripped through Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar, first in late February before circling back in March. Over 1,000 people were reported dead in the region. The World…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Malawians search for relatives buried under the mud as death toll jumps

NEWS

IN Malawi, where floods swept away entire villages this month after a storm tore through its southern districts, police officers and soldiers dug for victims buried under the mud and rocks as the death toll rose sharply. The storm has pounded the southern African country as tropical Cyclone Freddy swept through the region killing more than 500 people in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar since it first made landfall in Africa in late February and circled back for a second time over the weekend. While the storm had dissipated, the rain continued to hamper rescue efforts as vehicles struggled on flooded…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Factbox: Why is Cyclone Freddy a record-breaking storm?

NEWS

NELLIE PEYTON TROPICAL cyclone Freddy hit the coast of southern Africa for a second time over the weekend, bringing its total death toll to more than 220 people in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. The month-long storm has broken at least one record and could break two more, meteorologists say. As climate change causes warmer oceans, heat energy from the water's surface is fuelling stronger storms. Below are some of the main reasons Freddy is noteworthy. HIGHEST CYCLONE ENERGY Freddy holds the record for most accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), a measure based on a storm's wind strength over its lifetime, of any storm in…