Soldier: I was paid $10,000 to topple Marc Ravalomanana

Africa Review

In the dock: Col Charles Andrianasoavina claims Madagascar's army was paid to carry out the 2009 coup. RIVONALA RAZAFISON | AFRICA REVIEW | 

By RIVONALA RAZAFISON in Antananarivo

A top Malagasy army man has sensationally claimed he was paid $10,000 to instigate the March 2009 coup that ushered in current leader Andry Rajoelina.

Col Charles Andrianasoavina, in court with three other generals to answer charges over another mutiny on November 17, 2010, lodged a mea culpa and in effect admitted culpability in the 2009 events that deposed elected President Marc Ravalomanana and sparked a political crisis that has plagued the country to date.

Col Andrianasoavina said he had received the money from a highly-placed person, adding that billions of the national currency had been circulated to pay soldiers to remove Mr Ravalomanana.

He claimed the money came from national politicians and foreign contributors with the complicity of highly-placed persons in the army, but he failed to reveal any names.

Col Andrianasoavina is seen as the main architect of the 2009 coup that was unanimously condemned by the international community. On March 8, 2009 the Antananarivo military camp called CAPSAT mutinied, urged on by then-commandant Andrianasoavina and Colonels (at the time) Noël Rakotonandrasana and André Ndriarijaona.

Other camps then followed, speeding up the departure of the incumbent President in favour of Mr Rajoelina, a former disc jockey.

Gross violations

Colonels Rakotonandrasana and Ndriarijaona were then respectively appointed minister of National Defence and commander-in-chief of the army after the takeover.

Col Andrianasoavina came in for different high state positions, including co-director of the Special Intervention Force (FIS), an armed wing of the High Authority of Transition (HAT) chaired by Mr Rajoelina.


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