22 Facts About Didier Ratsiraka

Didier Ratsiraka was first appointed president in 1975 by the military leadership, he was then reelected twice in 1982 and 1989.

Didier Ratsiraka was born in Vatomandry, Atsinanana Region, French Madagascar, on 4 November 1936.

Didier Ratsiraka's father, Albert Ratsiraka, was a member of the Parti des desherites de Madagascar in the Moramanga District and a Malagasy official in the French colonial administration.

Didier Ratsiraka attended Lycee Henri-IV, a prestigious public secondary school in Paris.

Didier Ratsiraka then graduated from Ecole navale, the French naval academy, as a naval officer with a bachelor's degree in 1962.

Didier Ratsiraka returned to Madagascar, where he began his career as a naval ensign at the French naval and military base in Diego-Suarez.

In 1964, Didier Ratsiraka married Celine Velonjara in a Roman Catholic wedding ceremony.

Didier Ratsiraka initially served as a military attache at the Embassy of Madagascar in Paris, before being appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs with President Gabriel Ramanantsoa's transitional government from 1972 until 1975.

Didier Ratsiraka oversaw Madagascar's departure from the CFA franc zone in 1972.

Didier Ratsiraka was nicknamed "Deba", a Malagasy word which translates in English to "the Big Man".

Didier Ratsiraka ran in the multiparty November 1992 presidential election, placing second behind Zafy in the first round.

Zafy was impeached by the National Assembly of Madagascar in 1996, and Didier Ratsiraka, who had been in exile in France, mounted a political comeback in late 1996 when he won that year's presidential election, running as the candidate of the AREMA party.

Didier Ratsiraka announced on 26 June 2001 that he would be a candidate for the presidential election to be held in December of that year.

Didier Ratsiraka did return to Madagascar after more than a week, but his position was continuing to weaken militarily.

On 4 August 2009, Didier Ratsiraka met with President of the High Authority of Transition of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina, as well as Ravalomanana and former president of the Malagasy Republic Albert Zafy, in crisis talks mediated by former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano and held in Maputo.

Didier Ratsiraka became the mayor of Toamasina and ran unsuccessfully in the 2006 presidential election, placing third.

Didier Ratsiraka returned from exile on 24 November 2011, a move that was welcomed by the Rajoelina government as well as by former presidents Ravalomanana and Zafy.

Didier Ratsiraka called for resolution of the political crisis through direct talks between all four political leaders, talks that should involve other parties and civil society groups according to him.

Didier Ratsiraka wrote a book with Cecile Lavrard-Meyer, a lecturer at Sciences Po in Paris, which was published by Editions Karthala in July 2015.

Didier Ratsiraka had received a PCR diagnostic test for COVID-19, but the results were negative for coronavirus, according to relatives cited by Jeune Afrique.

Several days later, Didier Ratsiraka died from cardiac arrest at CENHOSOA hospital in the early morning of 28 March 2021, at the age of 84.

Didier Ratsiraka was buried in the Ambohitsaina Mausoleum in Antananarivo on 29 March 2021.