© Wikimedia Commons
An Air Madagascar plane at Tulear airport.
While the national company Madagascar Airlines had announced a little over three weeks ago the resumption of flights between the sister islands of the Indian Ocean, the latter were finally suspended “following the cancellation of flight authorizations by the competent authority,” according to the company.
With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Like Laetitia
The Malagasy authorities have remained very discreet regarding the reasons for this suspension. So far, the Minister of Transport indicates that this decision is linked to the risks of gold trafficking. ” The green lines are those that pose no problem in terms of traffic and particularly in terms of gold traffic. Today Comoros is part of the red line “Explains Minister Rolland Ranjatoelina.
« Although the security measures are applied, the risks are very high and it is to avoid this kind of risk that the authorities have taken this decision. “, Continues the member of the government. He specifies that the resumption of flights between Antananarivo and Moroni requires authorization from the Council of Ministers and that, for the time being, “ the conditions are not met for a link return.
“retaliatory measure”
In the Comorian press, this decision by the Malagasy authorities is interpreted as a way of ” harden the tone ” and an “ retaliatory measure to push the Comoros to return the 49 kilos of gold from Madagascar seized on two Malagasy traffickers and a Comorian at Moroni airport last December. ” There is no causal link. This is purely and simply prevention. “, objects the Malagasy Minister of Transport.
The sky of the big island also remains closed to South Africa, where 73 kilos of gold bars from Madagascar were intercepted in January 2021.
