Madagascar’s security forces fired tear gas on Wednesday to disperse protesters opposed to the regime of the country’s strongman, Andry Rajoelina.
Small groups of protesters attempted to block roads using stones and bricks in downtown Antananarivo, one year to the day after Rajoelina’s military-backed coup forced out then-president Marc Ravalomanana.
Opposition groups announced on Tuesday that their supporters would take to the streets following a series of meetings in an enclosed car park.
The Indian Ocean island has been mired in political crisis since Rajoelina’s March 17 2009 power grab.
The former Antananarivo mayor has defied calls by the African Union to honour agreements reached with political rivals last year to end the protracted crisis. — Sapa-AFP