This Action Alert comes from the Presbyterian Washington Office. Presbyterians are encouraged to call or write their members of Congress
to share concerns related to the ongoing crisis in Madagascar and to invite appropriate action.
Madagascar remains one of the world's poorest countries, in spite of its unique biodiversity. The island's nine million Christians have played an important role in public life since the nation's independence from France in 1960. In the early 1990s, the Council of 
Now, the principles of democracy and rule of law are again under siege. On 17 March, the mayor of the capital city, Antananarivo, staged an effective coup d'etat with the help of a group of mutinous army officers. He has since driven the elected President out of the country, dissolved parliament, packed the courts, and centralized state power in his own hands. Christian leaders who have dared to oppose the coup have been threatened and harassed.
The Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has issued a statement of the denomination's concerns regarding the current crisis situation in Madagascar. He calls on U.S. public officials to:
- Condemn the 17 March coup d'etat in Madagascar;
- Withhold diplomatic recognition from individuals appointed by the illegal government to represent Madagascar abroad;
- Impose targeted sanctions on Madagascar;
- Condemn the pardoning or release of perpetrators of gross human rights violations;
- Support the restoration of the rule of law and respect for the Constitution of Madagascar and the will of the people as expressed at the last general election (December 2006);
- Encourage an inclusive national consultation process that is coordinated by the African Union or other appropriate impartial body.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has mission personnel based in Madagascar.
Pray and act for the people of Madagascar.