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6 April 2002
Dear Friends,
The end of another week in Madagascar finds the Malagasy people
much closer to a major humanitarian disaster. This week rice,
soap, oil, salt, and sugar disappeared from store shelves in the
capital city, apparently due to a combination of basic necessities
running out, panic buying, and secret stocking by store owners
to help provoke extraordinarily high prices. Over the previous
weekend (29-31 March) three important bridges were blown up or
made impassable by Ratsiraka supporters, completing the blockade
of Antananarivo.
People throughout the country are suffering. In rural areas, low
prices for agricultural crops combined with high prices of many
basic necessities are causing much hardship. Stocks of medicines
are running low. In urban areas, the high price of gasoline (over
$15 per gallon) has severely restricted transportation. Monthly
income is down even as prices skyrocket. It has been estimated
that 500, 000 people will lose their jobs if the blockade of the
capital continues for another three weeks.
Information coming in from northern Madagascar about human rights
violations there has been especially distressing. We have spent
much of the past three days taking down the testimonies of people
who escaped from Sambava in late March. There a militia made up
of regular troops brought in from Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez) mixed
with paid thugs has been terrorizing the population. A "black
list" was established with the names of prominent Merina
politicians and civic leaders. Almost half of the people on the
list of almost 30 are apolitical, including at least four pastors.
At least three people have been captured and tortured. At least
two people were forced to eat hot peppers so that they would tell
where someone was. On one occasion the militia shot a man, mistaking
him for someone on the black list. He died from his wounds. There
is word that a 13-year-old boy was kidnaped when the militia could
not find his father. The whereabouts of two pastors is uncertain.
Pastor Daudet, one of the two, has apparently escaped with his
family and is probably on his way to Antananarivo. The other pastor
is reported to have been captured but this needs verification.
Several officials of the Ratsiraka government are behind the
terror. Most notably is Deputy Soaline, who has been putting out
anti-Merina rhetoric over her radio station since December or
before. She read the names of the people on the black list over
the radio. The other radio station in Sambava, which didn’t
support Ratsiraka, was destroyed by militia in mid-March. Senator
Portos (one of the 30 senators appointed by Ratsiraka) has appeared
on television and radio across northern Madagascar saying, "Those
who support Ravalomanana are criminals, they should be caught,
taken to Antsiranana, tried, and sent to [the prison at] Nosy
Lava."
Very disturbing to us is the continued silence of our government
with regards to the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Madagascar.
When we wrote to the human rights section of the State Department
this past week about the human rights situation, they wrote back
about reaching "a peaceful, fully transparent and democratic
resolution to the election dispute." The United States has
yet to publicly criticize any human rights violations that have
occurred in Madagascar since the December 16 presidential election.
On Friday 5 April, Ravalomanana described steps that the government
is taking to stop the terrorism that is crippling the country.
He called on the people and the army to be vigilant and to help
stop the perpetrators. The government is forming a national security
council with representatives of the government, the people, and
the army.
Please pray:
- That the U.S. and the rest of the international community will
condemn the human rights violations that have occurred.
- For the safety of Ravalomanana, his ministers, and their families
in the face of credible threats on their lives.
- For all those being persecuted, including pastors and the poor.
- That the attempts of those trying to bring justice and a swift
end to the crisis will be fruitful.
- That the standoff in Fianarantsoa can be resolved without further
bloodshed.
In Christ,
Dan & Elizabeth Turk
The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 41
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