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    January 21, 2012

Madagascar Closes Airspace to Ousted Exiled President

   VOA News
   Former Madagascar leader Marc Ravalomanana and his wife Lalao (R) hold
   plane tickets after checking in at the O.R Tambo airport in
   Johannesburg, January 21, 2012. Photo: Reuters
   Former Madagascar leader Marc Ravalomanana and his wife Lalao (R) hold
   plane tickets after checking in at the O.R Tambo airport in
   Johannesburg, January 21, 2012.

   The flight of Madagascar's ousted president to his island homeland
   Saturday has been diverted back to South Africa, where he has spent
   three years in exile.
   A spokesman for Marc Ravalomanana says officials in Madagascar closed
   the airspace to prevent him from returning home. He had vowed to
   return, despite a threat that he would be arrested.
   Ravalomanana, accompanied by his wife, left Johannesburg airport early
   Saturday for the trip to Madagascar. Before leaving, Ravalomanana said
   that he was certain he would not be turned away like last year.
   Security forces in Madagascar had threatened to arrest him if he
   returns to the Indian Ocean nation off Africa's southeastern coast.
   Ravalomanana was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for the deaths
   of dozens of opposition protesters killed by his presidential security
   team in 2009, ahead of the coup that toppled him.
   Last September, Ravalomanana agreed to a plan for restoring democracy
   to his island nation that left the military-backed President Andry
   Rajoelina, the coup leader, in charge until elections are held.
   Under the proposal, Ravalomanana could return to Madagascar.
   The deal was brokered during months-long negotiations by the Southern
   African Development Community. It had been urging Madagascar to allow
   the return of Ravalomanana as part of a plan to restore democracy.

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