Morning Brief: A military coup in Madagascar

Top Story It appears that a successful coup has been carried out in Madagascar as an aide tells reporters that President Marc Ravalomanana will step down and hand over power to the military. A formal declaration is expected soon. Soldiers loyal to opposition leader Andry Rajoelina occupied the empty presidential palace in the capital Antananarivo ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
587703_090317_Madagascar5.jpg
587703_090317_Madagascar5.jpg
Madagascan soldiers loyal to opposition leader Andry Rajoelina guard the presidential palace in Antananarivo on March 17, 2009 after the army seized the office of Madagascan President Marc Ravalomanana on March 16 and demanded his speedy resignation. The three-month-old challenge to his authority on the impoverished Indian Ocean island came to a climax late on March 16 when around 100 RPG-wielding soldiers backed by tanks stormed his office in the capital Antananarivo. Ravalomanana had said over the weekend that he would not yield to opposition leader Andry Rajoelina's drive to unseat him but with only a handful of members of his presidential guard still loyal, the 59-year-old leader had few options. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images)

Top Story

Top Story

It appears that a successful coup has been carried out in Madagascar as an aide tells reporters that President Marc Ravalomanana will step down and hand over power to the military. A formal declaration is expected soon.

Soldiers loyal to opposition leader Andry Rajoelina occupied the empty presidential palace in the capital Antananarivo yesterday after Ravalomanana fled the country. Roajoelina will move into the presidential office today. The African Union will hold a meeting in two days to discuss the situation in Madagascar.

FP‘s Elizabeth Dickinson has background on the turmoil in Madagascar here and here.

Middle East

Israel and Hamas failed to reach a deal for the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

The U.S. says it shot down an Iranian drone over Iraqi territory last month.

U.S. troops accidentally killed a 12-year-old Iraqi girl with a warning shot at a police checkpoint.

Asia

Thousands of Pakistanis celebrated after the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudry. But another crisis could be brewing. 

North Korea has reopened a key border crossing to the South.

Sri Lanka is refusing to accept any conditions on a proposed IMF loan.

Africa

While visiting Cameroon on his first trip to Africa, Pope Benedict XVI said that distributing condoms is not the answer to fighting the spread of HIV.

Refugee camps in Darfur are struggling after the expulsion of international aid groups.

Political violence is escalating in Sierra Leone.

Europe

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia is launching a $140 billion military buildup. He has clearly not been reading Travis Sharp.

Finland’s Nokia, the world’s largest cell phone company, is cutting 1,700 jobs worldwide.

Irish and Northern Irish political leaders will meet with President Obama at the White House in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Northern Ireland’s increasing violence is expected to be on the agenda.

Americas

Obama vowed to “pursue every legal avenue to block” bailed-out insurance giant AIG from paying executive bonuses.

El Salvador’s new leftist president said he is looking forward to working with Washington.

In retaliation for restrictions on Mexican truckers in the United States, the Mexican government is putting tariffs on 90 American products.

ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

More from Foreign Policy

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler walks by a State Department Seal from a scene in The Diplomat, a new Netflix show about the foreign service.
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler walks by a State Department Seal from a scene in The Diplomat, a new Netflix show about the foreign service.

At Long Last, the Foreign Service Gets the Netflix Treatment

Keri Russell gets Drexel furniture but no Senate confirmation hearing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron speak in the garden of the governor of Guangdong's residence in Guangzhou, China, on April 7.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron speak in the garden of the governor of Guangdong's residence in Guangzhou, China, on April 7.

How Macron Is Blocking EU Strategy on Russia and China

As a strategic consensus emerges in Europe, France is in the way.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin greets U.S. President George W. Bush prior to a meeting of APEC leaders in 2001.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin greets U.S. President George W. Bush prior to a meeting of APEC leaders in 2001.

What the Bush-Obama China Memos Reveal

Newly declassified documents contain important lessons for U.S. China policy.

A girl stands atop a destroyed Russian tank.
A girl stands atop a destroyed Russian tank.

Russia’s Boom Business Goes Bust

Moscow’s arms exports have fallen to levels not seen since the Soviet Union’s collapse.