Madagascar suspended by the SADC

The 15 member countries forming the Southern African Development Community (SADC), backed by France, have asked the new strong man of Antananarivo to hand power back to the deposed president, Marc Ravalomanana. Madagascar is henceforth suspended from all Community institutions and bodies until the country returns to constitutional order, the Executive Director of SADC, Tomaz Salomao has insisted. Meanwhile, some 8 000 pro-Ravalomanana demonstrators, reportedly, rallied on Monday in Antananarivo, the Malagasy capital.