Wednesday , 15 May 2024
enfrit
The conflict that has been undermining the state police has apparently been settled, for the time being at least. The Prime minister personally got involved in the process. For lack of a long term solution, a status quo has been reached. General Zafera's resignation from the national state police's intervention force (FIGN) has been rejected. And the state police's commander-in-chief, general Bruno Razafindrakoto, is still kept in charge.

FIGN: a tricky settlement

On this account, everyone is back into the starting blocks. Talks between the state police’s chiefs and the HAT Prime minister Camille Vital more or less settled the disputes, at least it would have silenced personal ambitions. The FIGN elements required  general Razafindrakoto’s resignation from his position of commander-in-chief, but, in the end, their own commander did resign, “for the sake of good example”, he attested, as a response to “war threats” from the armed forces’ minister. 

The military leaders found common ground to moderate tensions, but the roots of the division bell are still deep. Troopers have not yet laid their last card. Some times before the meeting between the state police chiefs and the Prime minister, they enjoined all of their comrades sent in mission to reach for the base camp. 

On Wednesday, order and calm seemed to have been restored; Camille Vital, HAT Prime minister, Noel Rakotonandrasana, armed forces’ minister, and, general Ravelomanana, Secretary of state in charge of the state police, made for the FIGN base camp. The government’s leader made it an occasion to attack the Malagasy press, accused of fuelling the tensions.