The situation in Madagascar has been characterized by a series of institutional crises since the country gained independence from France in 1960. These have undermined hopes of socioeconomic development and restricted the country’s per capita GDP to $529, well below the sub-Saharan African average of around $1,637. This explains Madagascar’s widespread poverty, lack of infrastructure and entrenched institutional fragility. This is exacerbated by the many recurring health (COVID-19, bubonic and pulmonary plague) and climatic (cyclones, floods, drought) calamities that have kept 80.2 per cent of the population below the poverty line.
The presidential elections of November 2023 were no exception to the cycle of crises. Andry Rajoelina re-won the presidency for five years despite the polls having been boycotted by most of the opposition (10 out of 12 candidates). The May 2024 legislative assembly elections confirmed that Rajoelina’s power was crumbling. The coalition he led (IRMAR) could only win a slim majority (84 out of 163 seats), and that too after the High Constitutional Court rejected all appeals for the annulment of poll results for specific seats, except for four lodged by Rajoelina’s camp. Notably, too, a third of the seats were won by independents (i.e., candidates not affiliated to any party). The electoral year will end with the local elections, which will crystallize the balance of power between IRMAR and the opposition, including the independents.
Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada works in Madagascar because the people face insecurities owing to their exclusion from decision-making in public life and with respect to the governance of natural resources. People do not have adequate access to, safe use of or control over the natural resources of their environment. In rural areas, they also struggle against exploitative systems.
Our programme is based on an approach that values the empowerment of people for their own development through self-help.
Our partners conduct two groups of complementary activities that:
*This program has received financial support from the Government of Quebec since 2017 through its ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs and/or its ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie.
In July 2024, our country program officer met the mayor of the Soanierana commune.
He explained to us, as did the associations we met previously, that there had been no bush fires, although these usually start at the beginning of June.
This is an unhoped-for result of the acceptance of the “dina” (rules), which were formulated with the participation of as many people as possible to protect the environment!
*The RENIALA project is funded by the Quebec government as part of the International Climate Cooperation Program (PCCI), a program stemming from the Plan for a Green Economy 2030.
Madagascar’s prospects hinge on building a self-help-based system of resilience. We will continue working to organize people at the community level so that they can bounce back individually and collectively in a sustainable manner. This will be done through improved networking and stronger advocacy to facilitate the creation of social and agricultural policies that are favourable to the people.
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555 René-Lévesque Blvd. West, 8th Floor
Montreal (Quebec) Canada H2Z 1B1
Phone: 514-257-8711
Toll-free: 1-888-234-8533
Fax: 514-257-8497
Email: info@devp.org
Charity number: 1 1882 9902 RR 0001
Our international cooperation program is carried out in part with the financial support of the Government of Canada acting through Global Affairs Canada.
Development and Peace — Caritas Canada is the official international solidarity organization of the Catholic Church in Canada and the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis.
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