Madagascar: no escape from turmoil

Before the hugely popular films featuring Alex the Lion and Gloria the Hippo, for many Madagscar was known as a place where sugar comes from.

Despite the growing interest in eco-tourism and the popularity of the Disney animations, events in Madagascar over the weekend which resulted in 28 people killed and more than 200 injured have struggled to make news headlines.

Anti-government protests are set to continue after the main opposition figure, Andry Rajoelina who was sacked from his position as mayor of Antananarivo by the President last week has made this call in defiance of the weekends events. BBC News Online In pictures features some strong images of the scenes of the protest and violence that followed

Needless to say that Amnesty is pretty concerned that such heavy-handed force was used to subdue what appears to have been a peaceful protest which also included the killing of several people.

And it would appear that the countrys Defence Minster shares this view as the BBC reports that she has resigned because she cannot work in a government which condones the shooting of innocent civilians.

Political turmoil isnt new for Madagascar but with more than half of its 20 million inhabitants living on less than one dollar a day, this is the last thing they need.