The Political Crisis of March 2009 in Madagascar

A Case Study of Conflict and Conflict Mediation

Adrien M. Ratsimbaharison

Since Independence in 1960, Madagascar has faced several periods of instability and crisis, as well as the threat of civil war. These periods were cyclical: each time the country made some significant economic and social progress, an unexpected crisis would occur to bring it to a halt. The book focuses on the crisis of March 2009, showing how a brewing conflict between the government of Marc Ravalomanana and the opposition led by Andry Rajoelina escalated and using it as a case for the study of further crises in Madagascar or other African countries. The book adopts a conflict approach to the study of crisis. Instead of focusing on external symptoms (street protests, violence, looting, massacre of protesters, military mutiny, etc.), or condemning it as a “coup d’état,” it analyzes the crisis of March 2009 as part of an ongoing conflict between the government and the opposition. It uncovers the causal mechanisms of the crisis as well as the process of crisis management and de-escalation, examining such factors as the context of the crisis, the major actors, the triggers, and the management of the crisis by national and international mediators. In addition, the book explains how a civil war was averted and who benefited as a result of this political crisis.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 188 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4422-7235-4 • Hardback • July 2017 • $103.00 • (£79.00)

978-1-4422-7236-1 • eBook • July 2017 • $97.50 • (£75.00)

Subjects: Political Science / World / African, Political Science / Peace

The Political Crisis of March 2009 in Madagascar

A Case Study of Conflict and Conflict Mediation

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Since Independence in 1960, Madagascar has faced several periods of instability and crisis, as well as the threat of civil war. These periods were cyclical: each time the country made some significant economic and social progress, an unexpected crisis would occur to bring it to a halt. The book focuses on the crisis of March 2009, showing how a brewing conflict between the government of Marc Ravalomanana and the opposition led by Andry Rajoelina escalated and using it as a case for the study of further crises in Madagascar or other African countries. The book adopts a conflict approach to the study of crisis. Instead of focusing on external symptoms (street protests, violence, looting, massacre of protesters, military mutiny, etc.), or condemning it as a “coup d’état,” it analyzes the crisis of March 2009 as part of an ongoing conflict between the government and the opposition. It uncovers the causal mechanisms of the crisis as well as the process of crisis management and de-escalation, examining such factors as the context of the crisis, the major actors, the triggers, and the management of the crisis by national and international mediators. In addition, the book explains how a civil war was averted and who benefited as a result of this political crisis.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 188 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4422-7235-4 • Hardback • July 2017 • $103.00 • (£79.00)

978-1-4422-7236-1 • eBook • July 2017 • $97.50 • (£75.00)

Subjects: Political Science / World / African, Political Science / Peace

Author

Adrien Ratsimbaharison is professor of Political Science at Benedict College, Columbia, SC. He worked as a journalist for Midi-Madagasikara, a daily newspaper in Antananarivo.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. The Context of the Conflict: Revisiting the Theories of Democratic Civil Peace and Rising Expectation
Chapter 3. The Actors of the Conflict: Conflict Strategies and Negotiating Styles as Escalating Factors
Chapter 4. The Triggers and Dimensions of the Conflict
Chapter 5. How an Armed Conflict Was Avoided? The De-escalating Factors
Chapter 6. The Mediation of the Conflict by the FFKM: The Failure of the National Mediation
Chapter 7. The Mediation of the Conflict by the International Community: The Mixed Results of the SADC Mediation
Chapter 8. Conclusion

Reviews

Ratsimbaharison’s book is an excellent contribution to the scholarship on conflict analysis and mediation. . . a must read for conflict-analysts and Africanists.
— African Studies Quarterly

Dr. Ratsimbaharison provides an in-depth, multifaceted examination of the 2009 political crisis in Madagascar by exploring the crisis from several perspectives: the political system in general and its lack of successful liberal democracy, the actors themselves and how each side sought to exploit the situation to its own advantage, and the difficulty of national and international mediators to bring about peace. The book presents a compelling main argument that the crisis occurred because a combination of factors escalated an ongoing conflict between the government and the opposition.
— Chris White, Livingston College

This book is essential reading for anyone interested in conflict mediation and in Madagascar's recent history. Ratsimbaharison gives a solid analysis of the political and socio-economic context of the 2009 political crisis in Madagascar. He explains the roles of the mediators , the FFKM (Council of Christian Churches in Madagascar), and the international community through SADC (Southern African Development Community), until the Roadmap for Ending the Crisis is established by the parties in 2011. The book is sure to make readers understand more of the complexity of mediation.
— Wenche Iren Hauge, Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)