3rd April, 2009

Ecumenical News International

A delegation from two global church groups to Madagascar has called for international pressure to secure democracy in the island nation following the military-supported ousting of President Marc Ravalomanana.

The delegation urged the African Union and the 15-nation Southern African Development Community to assume, "their rightful place in ensuring justice, establishing peace and effecting democracy in Madagascar as a matter of urgency".

The two-person church delegation visited Madagascar from 27th to 29th March on behalf of the London-based Council for World Mission, and the Geneva-headquartered World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

Ravalomanana resigned in mid-March after a campaign by opposition leader Andry Rajoelina to oust the president from office. Supporters of the deposed leader have since staged mass protests against the military's subsequent installation of Rajoelina as president.

The Rev Des van der Water, CWM general secretary, and the Rev Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, said they had witnessed, "ruthless and repressive actions of the military against peaceful protest".

They also noted, "an erupting anger and increasingly militant mood among the people reacting to the imposition of new rulers, (and)a determination among the people to reverse politically unjust and unacceptable actions on the part of the new regime".

The two church representatives called on the new government to allow the people of Madagascar the freedom to express their democratic and constitutional rights.

SADC leaders announced on 31st March that they had suspended Madagascar from their organization, and called for the reinstatement of Ravalomanana. The African Union had earlier condemned Rajoelina, and said it had suspended the Indian Ocean island nation until it had a government elected through transparent elections.

In a 30th March statement, CWM and WARC said their representatives had made a "solidarity and pastoral visit" to the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM). This is the country's biggest Protestant church and one that is also a member of CWM and WARC.

The military briefly detained the FJKM's president, the Rev Lala Rasendrahasina, following the resignation of Ravalomanana, a member and elected lay vice-president of the church.

The CWM-WARC delegation took part in an estimated 70,000-strong church-led rally and service of worship to pray for a peaceful and more democratic process of reform in the country.

The general secretary of WARC, the Rev Setri Nyomi, described the visit as, "an important means of letting the people of Madagascar know that we are with them in these challenging times". Rev Nyomi added, "We encourage Madagascar's churches to pursue their commitment to the process of national reconciliation that is so urgently needed."

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