Mick Hartley

I missed this, from Thursday, but it does add weight to the view that the proposed Daewoo deal with Madagascar was a significant factor in the ousting of President Ravalomanana (via):

Madagascar's new leader has cancelled a controversial deal for a South Korean firm to lease a vast tract of land to grow food crops.

Andry Rajoelina said he was axing the deal because the people should be consulted. Daewoo Logistics has reportedly expressed its frustration.

The plan had helped fuel popular anger against President Marc Ravalomanana, who was forced from office on Tuesday….

Correspondents say Malagasy people have deep ties to their land and some had condemned the deal as "neo-colonialism".

Widespread protests had already slowed down progress on the deal, which would have used about half of Madagascar's arable land.

The South Korean industrial giant had sought to produce corn and palm oil on 1.3m hectares (3.2m acres), in one of the biggest deals involving foreign firms seeking to secure African farmland since food prices soared last year.

"In the constitution, it is stipulated that Madagascar's land is neither for sale nor for rent, so the agreement with Daewoo is cancelled," Mr Rajoelina told reporters.