Nosy Mitsio is the largest island in the archipelago of the same name in northwest Madagascar, between Nosy Be and Antsiranana. It covers an area of around 2,000 ha. The island is little known, though many foreign tourists are familiar with it. The Antakarana have lived here since the 19th century, and like most Malagasy people, their income-generating activities are fishing, farming and livestock production.
Like other Malagasy citizens, some of Nosy Mitsio’s inhabitants intend to take steps to obtain proof of land ownership. Unfortunately, they have not been allowed to apply for land titles for nearly 5 years. The Ministry of Tourism is said to have confiscated all files concerning the island. In June 2022, the President of the Republic announced plans to build a 5-star hotel on Nosy Mitsio. Following this announcement, the Minister of Tourism at the time confirmed that the government was in the process of selecting investors who had expressed an interest in the project (1).
Following this, civil society organizations have already issued several statements on the concerns of Nosy Mitsio’s inhabitants (2).
The people of Nosy Mitsio are very concerned about the lack of transparency. After civil society organizations circulated a land map showing that local communities use and need all the land areas on the island (3), a helicopter landed on the island and left after a few minutes. A few months later, a helicopter flew over the island at very low altitude, circling overhead several times. Many hypotheses were put forward as to the reasons for these close inspections, especially as some people reported seeing the second helicopter land on one of the island’s beaches. However, local officials said they had not received any request for authorization or notification concerning these helicopter flights
The threats hanging over the heads of Nosy Mitsio’s communities are becoming visible and more concrete. Let’s recall that in 2020, an investor claiming to want to build a hotel came and had an environmental impact assessment (EIA) carried out. After the minutes of the EIA being signed by local inhabitants, the technicians showed a map detailing the project. The communities were surprised and shocked to see that an airport and a road would be built where their houses and fields were (4). They had not been informed of the truth. “It’s good to fall, as that teaches us to walk properly. It’s good to choke, that teaches us to chew better” a Malagasy saying goes, meaning we must learn from past experiences.
More and more residents are living in anguish as they have been told that those whose lands are included in the areas where state officials are planning to build the project’s infrastructure are going to be evicted and relocated.
We therefore call on the relevant authorities to:
- re-establish the possibility for the inhabitants of Nosy Mitsio to apply for land titles, for those who have the means to do so;
- not violate the rights of the majority of the population to enjoy their land according to customary land rights.
- remember that Malagasy law prohibits the privatization by individuals or companies of land located within the 25 m coastal strip from the seashore, so this zone cannot be sold or rented.
We reiterate the principles of international law according to which
1. The right to information of the inhabitants of Nosy Mitsio must be respected. This means providing them with full information on the project planned for their island, which State officials have been concocting for several years, and which well-informed people know to whom responsibility for its realization has been entrusted;
2. The inhabitants of Nosy Mitsio have the full right to express their opinion on a project that will affect their land, their lives and their future, before a contract is signed between the State and an investor and before implementation of the project begins (free, informed, prior consent);
3. The inhabitants of Nosy Mitsio have the right to decide on their future, like all the peoples of the world, to freely choose the type of economic, social and cultural development that suits them, in accordance with the international covenants that the Malagasy state has ratified.
18 October 2024
Collectif pour la défense des terres malgaches – TANY
Solidarité des Intervenants sur le Foncier (SIF)
References :
(1) https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20231224-madagascar-un-projet-d-investissement-h%C3%B4telier-%C3%A0-nosy-mitsio-inqui%C3%A8te-la-population-locale
(2)https://terresmalgaches.info/spip.php?page=article&id_article=322&recherche=Nosy%20Mitsio;
https://terresmalgaches.info/spip.php?page=article&id_article=325&recherche=Nosy%20Mitsio;
https://terresmalgaches.info/spip.php?page=article&id_article=329&recherche=Nosy%20Mitsio;
(3) https://terresmalgaches.info/spip.php?page=article&id_article=428&lang=fr
(4) https://terresmalgaches.info/spip.php?page=article&id_article=335&recherche=Nosy%20Mitsio