Six French citizens arrested for planning to kill the President of Madagascar-Minister Reuters

Lowisola Barri

Antananarivo (Reuters)-The Minister of Public Security of the Indian Ocean Island State said that a French citizen was one of six people arrested on suspicion of participating in the plot to kill the President of Madagascar. Another official said that the president’s security measures have been strengthen.

Rodellys Fanomezantsoa Randrianarison said at a press conference late on Thursday: “One of the arrested persons is French, two of them are Malagasy and French. The other three are Malagasy.”

The Attorney General of Madagascar said on Thursday that the police arrested the six people after officials said they had conducted a months-long investigation.

Patrick Rajoelina, an adviser to President Andry Rajoelina, told Reuters on Friday that two of the arrested had previously worked in the French army.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it has learned of the arrest of French nationals and that if they request, they can get consular help.

A spokesman for the French armed forces told Reuters that he declined to comment.

Patrick Rajoline added that unspecified measures have been taken to strengthen the president’s security. “The evidence is tangible, and we certainly won’t take it lightly,” he said.

Madagascar has a history of political violence and instability. 44-year-old Andry Rajoelina was sworn in as President in 2019 after a tough election and a challenge from the Constitutional Court.

In a coup in March 2009, Rajoelina took power for the first time in this extremely impoverished former French colony with a population of 26 million, overthrowing Marc Ravalomanana. Before 2014, he controlled the head of the transitional government.

In the 2019 election, Ravalomanana challenged Rajoelina, lost, and stated that the vote was fraudulent.