/ 24 April 2009

Woman killed in Madagascar protest

A woman was killed on Friday when Madagascan security forces broke up a demonstration in support of ousted president Marc Ravalomanana, a hospital official said.

”A woman died this morning,” Cornell Rafolohanitrarivo, head of the emergency unit at Antananarivo’s main hospital, told Agence France-Presse.

Several witnesses said they saw a woman being shot in the head.

It was not immediately clear whether more protesters were wounded during the incident.

On Thursday clashes between security forces and Ravalomanana supporters left at least 41 people wounded.

The transitional government of Andry Rajoelina, who forced Ravalomanana out of office last month with the army’s backing, banned public protests on Tuesday, a day after two Ravalomanana supporters were killed as police broke up a rally.

Ravalomanana’s supporters have held frequent demonstrations to demand the return of their leader in exile in southern Africa.

The series of tense rallies is reminiscent of the daily protests Rajoelina organised at the start of the year to obtain Ravalomanana’s ouster. — Sapa-AFP