Ousted Madagascar leader heads home to face possible arrest

Ousted Madagascar leader Marc Ravalomanana left South Africa on Saturday to return home in a move that could see him arrested and stoke political tensions on the Indian Ocean island. After almost three years in self-imposed exile since he was toppled in a military coup, Ravalomanana, accompanied by his wife, looked relaxed and was smiling before his departure.
Thousands of his supporters, many of whom wore t-shirts adorned with his portrait, streamed towards the airport in Madagascar's capital. Military police formed a cordon at the airport's entrance, blocking their access to the terminal. Ravalomanana, who was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for the killings of demonstrators by elite troops in the run-up to his removal, was expected to land shortly before 2.30 pm (1130 GMT).
"We've been waiting for this moment for nearly three years. We will welcome him with open arms," supporter Sahondra Rakotovao told Reuters, as cars mounted with loud speakers whipped up the gathering crowd. The dairy tycoon's return was the subject of heated debate and was a major stumbling block in negotiations over a political road map that ushered in a new interim government.
The current leader, Andry Rajoelina, warned Ravalomanana's presence in the world's fourth largest island risked raising tensions. A senior cabinet minister said in September that Ravalomanana would be arrested on arrival. Asked by reporters on Saturday if he thought he would be arrested on his return, Ravalomanana said: "No, no, no." Rajoelina's government held a special cabinet meeting on Saturday, after which ministers remained tight-lipped on the governments intentions.
"The road map ... (says) all exiles may return to Madagascar. But the document also states that this does not prevent the execution of judicial decisions," Minister of Communication Harry Rahajason told Reuters. "The Southern African Development Community and the road map do not supersede judicial decisions," he said, referring to the regional bloc which helped broker the road map.