You can definitely see inscriptions in Chinese (photo above shot in March 2009, Mahamasina, Antananarivo - Emmonat troup)
Not one but several newspapers wrote and relieved this Ravalomanana’s weapons affair. Thanks Wikileaks and read right now !
SA helped Ravalomanana import weapons: Wikileaks
February 12 2012
By SAPA
REUTERS
Ousted Madagascan President Marc Ravalomanana Madagascar's ousted president was helped by South Africa to import crowd control weapons before he lost power, Wikileaks has revealed.
The Sunday Independent Newspaper reported that a leaked United States state department document showed that South Africa was used as a trans-shipment point for riot control equipment, including grenades, rubber bullets and teargas.
The cable originated from the US embassy in Madagascar. It claimed that the Chinese-manufactured part of the arsenal was unloaded in South Africa and collected by then President Marc Ravalomanana's private jet. The arrangement enabled him to bypass customs.
From South Africa, the weapons went to parts of the army loyal to the ex-president in his home country.
According to the leaked document, security forces had not received proper training on the use of the equipment.
“It is doubtful the security forces properly understand how to effectively use rubber bullets in a crowd control situation,” it was noted in the document.
“Ill-trained units would no doubt continue to fire their weapons towards the upper body portion of crowds increasing the risk of head shots with lethal consequences.”
Ravalomanana has lived in exile in South Africa since he was ousted by a popularly supported military coup in 2009.
Madagascar's current leader Andry Rajoelina has accused his ousted rival of corruption.
The Sunday Independent reported that, according to the document, South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) failed to stop or supervise the movement of the weapons.
“For between a year and 18 months (following Jacob Zuma's election as president) the oversight body was in serial dereliction of its legislative mandate to meet monthly to scrutinise planned weapons transfers.”
Individual officials apparently signed off deals without securing the committee's approval.
Sapa
==================================
How SA meddled in Madagascan affairs
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Feb 12 2012
Madagascar's ousted president was helped by South Africa to import crowd control weapons before he lost power, WikiLeaks has revealed.
The Sunday Independent newspaper reported that a leaked United States state department document showed that South Africa was used as a trans-shipment point for riot control equipment, including grenades, rubber bullets and teargas.
The cable originated from the US embassy in Madagascar. It claimed that the Chinese-manufactured part of the arsenal was unloaded in South Africa and collected by then President Marc Ravalomanana's private jet. This arrangement enabled him to bypass customs.
From South Africa, the weapons went to parts of the army loyal to the ex-president in his home country.
According to the leaked document, security forces had not received proper training on the use of the equipment.
"It is doubtful the security forces properly understand how to effectively use rubber bullets in a crowd control situation," it was noted in the document.
"Ill-trained units would no doubt continue to fire their weapons towards the upper body portion of crowds increasing the risk of head shots with lethal consequences."
Ravalomanana has lived in exile in South Africa since he was ousted by a popularly supported military coup in 2009.
Madagascar's current leader Andry Rajoelina has accused his ousted rival of corruption.
'Oversight body in serial dereliction'
The newspaper reported that -- according to the document -- South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) failed to stop or supervise the movement of the weapons.
"For between a year and 18 months [following Jacob Zuma's election as president] the oversight body was in serial dereliction of its legislative mandate to meet monthly to scrutinise planned weapons transfers."
Individual officials apparently signed off deals without securing the committee's approval.
Ravalomanana attempted to return to his country in late January, but his aircraft was turned back.
Ravalomanana has been convicted in abstentia on charges of conspiracy to commit murder stemming from an incident during the build-up to the 2009 coup, when his presidential guard opened fire on protesters in Antananarivo, reportedly killing at least thirty and injuring several more.
A Southern African Development Community road map requires the Malagasy legislature to pass amnesty legislation to allow "the granting of a blanket amnesty for all political events ... between 2002 and 2009, except for crimes against humanity, war crimes, crimes of genocide and other serious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms".
This has to be ratified by the transitional Parliament before an election takes place. - Sapa and staff reporter
Mail&Guardian
========================================
Madagascar: South Africa Helped With Weapons Import - Report
12 February 2012
Johannesburg — Madagascar's ousted president was helped by South Africa to import crowd control weapons before he lost power, Wikileaks has revealed.
The Sunday Independent Newspaper reported that a leaked United States state department document showed that South Africa was used as a trans-shipment point for riot control equipment, including grenades, rubber bullets and teargas.
The cable originated from the US embassy in Madagascar. It claimed that the Chinese-manufactured part of the arsenal was unloaded in South Africa and collected by then President Marc Ravalomanana's private jet.
The arrangement enabled him to bypass customs.
From South Africa, the weapons went to parts of the army loyal to the ex-president in his home country.
According to the leaked document, security forces had not received proper training on the use of the equipment.
"It is doubtful the security forces properly understand how to effectively use rubber bullets in a crowd control situation," it was noted in the document.
"Ill-trained units would no doubt continue to fire their weapons towards the upper body portion of crowds increasing the risk of head shots with lethal consequences."
Ravalomanana has lived in exile in South Africa since he was ousted by a popularly supported military coup in 2009.
Madagascar's current leader Andry Rajoelina has accused his ousted rival of corruption.
The Sunday Independent reported that, according to the document, South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) failed to stop or supervise the movement of the weapons.
"For between a year and 18 months [following Jacob Zuma's election as president] the oversight body was in serial dereliction of its legislative mandate to meet monthly to scrutinise planned weapons transfers."
Individual officials apparently signed off deals without securing the committee's approval.
Allafrica
==========================================
“Probe Madagascar arms deal”
Sun, 12 Feb 2012
South Africa's main opposition party called on Sunday for an investigation into reports that Pretoria helped supply arms to Madagascar's former president as he tried to quash protests against his rule.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said ex-president Marc Ravalomanana may have illegally used South Africa as a transit point to import Chinese-supplied riot gear in the run-up to his 2009 ouster and that South African arms regulators may have illegally authorised a deal for similar equipment.
"The National Conventional Arms Control Committee should immediately authorise an investigation into reports that (Ravalomanana) used South Africa as a transit point to import Chinese-supplied riot control gear prior to the 2009 coup," DA lawmaker David Maynier said in a statement.
Maynier said the committee had also authorised a rush sale of R2.3-million of riot control equipment to Madagascar in 2009.
"The riot control gear appears to have been exported to military or paramilitary forces just prior to the coup in Madagascar," he said.
"There was therefore a high probability that the riot control gear would be used for internal repression."
The DA's call comes after WikiLeaks published a 2009 US diplomatic cable that said Ravalomanana had used South Africa as a transit point for Chinese shields, body armour, tear gas, rubber bullets and uniforms after going on a "buying spree" for crowd control equipment.
The cable raised concern that the equipment could be deadly in the hands of under-trained Madagascan security forces.
Ravalomanana has been living in exile in South Africa since shortly after his ouster by the then-mayor of the capital, Andry Rajoelina.
Ravalomanana was sentenced in absentia to life in prison and hard labour for the death of some 30 opposition protesters killed by his presidential guard in February 2009 when they opened fire without warning on a crowd outside the presidential palace.
He has been trying to go home to participate in new elections under a roadmap brokered by regional mediators, but has repeatedly been foiled by Madagascan aviation officials refusing to allow his return.
Iafrica
www.madagate.com History file