The island of Sakatia is in turmoil. The wrestling match between the people of Sakatia and Green Mada Land continues. Since 2016, when the contract was signed, the inhabitants of this peaceful island have been shaken by the fear of having to leave their ancestral lands. The presence of a State mission led by the Prefect of Nosy Be on April 3, 2025, only reinforced the concerns of the indigenous people.
The village of Ampasindava Sakatia, or the famous island of Sakatia, is known for its lush vegetation, juicy pineapples and mangoes, and its ylang-ylang and orchid plantations.
Their nightmare reportedly resumed during Hery Rajaonarimampianina’s regime. In Ampasindava Sakatia, residents say that the announcement was reportedly made by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina himself during his son’s wedding. During the lunch held on the island of Sakatia, Hery Rajaonarimampianina reportedly told the fokontany chief that “the villagers will have to leave the area immediately.”
According to the rental contract, the right to exploit the 17 ha 34 Ares 81 Ca is granted to Green Mada Land through a 50-year emphyteutic lease, renewable for 49 years, at a rate of MGA 100 per square meter, or MGA 17,348,100 per year. The lease can be increased every five years. The rental contract was signed on August 18, 2016, by Narson Rafidimanana, Minister of Territorial Development in charge of infrastructure to the Presidency and presidential projects, and Vonintsoa Tahiniarivo Rakotoniaina as general administrator of Green Mada Land. This lease concerns the property known as “Réserve foncière du domaine public d’Ampasindava-Sakatia” TN°1807 – B0, located in Sakatia, fokontany of Antanamitarana, urban commune and district of Nosy-Be.
It follows contract 001 MINTOUR/16 of March 31, 2016, between the Minister of Transport, Tourism and Meteorology, Ulrich Andriantiana, and Green Mada Land.
Obscur file
We were informed about the subject in 2020. A team of journalists undertook a visit to Nosy Be in October and November 2020 to conduct an investigation. At that time, locals readily mentioned that the company Green Mada Land would belong to the sister of Voahangy Rajaonarimampianina, the president’s wife, and that her associate would be the former Minister of Tourism, Ulrich Andriantiana. Information which we were unable to verify at that time, having been unable to contact the company.
Indeed, no one, not even the residents, knows the ins and outs of the contract and the lease: the individuals behind the company Green Mada Landa remain unknown.
But the villagers have heard about a project for a five-star hotel complex that will be built there. They are worried about a possible expulsion of more than 200 villagers from Sakatia. Since then, a fierce struggle initiated by the communities grouped within the national network of Fokonolona Tafo Mihaavo Fanonga, which includes the 14 emblematic Fokonolona of Madagascar, has been launched.
On September 11, 2018, a letter was sent to the authorities to assert the rights of the communities. They are requesting the restitution of their lands and compensation for their damages. Indeed, apart from being a tourist land reserve (Réserve Foncière Touristique – RFT) according to decree No. 13 458/2000 dated December 7, 2000, by Herivelona Ramanantsoa, and decree No. 1764/2009 dated January 21, 2009, by Marius Ratolojanahary, the island of Sakatia is also a sacred place. The Sakalava ancestors have settled there for two centuries, creating a reservoir of values and traditions passed down from generation to generation. With decree No. 13 458/2000, requests for leases in the names of individuals included in the land reserve have been suspended.
“Sakatia is an emblematic indigenous and community heritage area (Aire du Patrimoine Autochtone et Communautaire – APAC) recognized by its peers in Madagascar, meaning it is an area managed and governed by local communities whose rules, values, and traditional practices contribute to the conservation of the island’s resources and the well-being of the community,” can be read on the website naturaljustice.org dated October 30, 2023. This management by local communities has been formalized by a management transfer contract established with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (No. 663/22-MEDD/SG/DREDD.DIANA).
The tension will be eased by the Covid-19 pandemic. Only civil society organizations, namely the Research and Support Center for Development Alternatives – Indian Ocean (RSCDA-IO) and the Collective for the Defense of Malagasy Lands, have occasionally expressed themselves through press releases or open letters.
A distortion of decision-making
April 3, 2025: new twist. The villagers of Sakatia launch a call on social media, following the presence of an administrative mission led by the Prefect of the region. The residents of Sakatia mention the possibility of an eviction, the prefect being accompanied by OMC –« Organe Mixed de Conception » (mixed design body). The news spreads quickly. Tension is rising and worsening. The Ministry of Decentralization and Territorial Development (MDAT) breaks its silence.
Its statement dated April 6, 2025 confirms the presence of administrative authorities on the island. « On April 3, 2025, a preliminary mission was conducted by the Police Prefect of Nosy Be, a private surveyor, and representatives of the company. The objective of this operation was to update land data by conducting a topographical survey. It involved delineating the perimeter, cataloging the constructions, and identifying the natural elements present on the site. » This letter further clarifies that this process was not related to any eviction.
This same statement indicates that “the site, registered under Title No. 1807-BO, covers an area of 17 Hectares, 34 Ares, and 81 Centiares. In 2018, the Malagasy company Green Mada Land obtained a renewable 50-year emphyteutic lease, after having complied with the applicable legal conditions.”
This information will be the start of a communication battle between the leaders on one side, the population, the CRAAD-OI, and the Collective for the defense of Malagasy lands, and the personalities of the opposition parties on the other side. The fierce opponents of the Green Mada Land hotel complex project publish ministerial order 27227/2019 of November 29, 2019, signed by Hajo Andrianainarivelo, the Minister of Territorial Development at the time, concerning the annulment of this emphyteutic lease granted to Green Mada Land on August 18, 2016.
“Whereas the decree No. 13-458/2000 of December 7, 2000, stipulates in its article 4 that ‘the rental requests made by individuals and included in the land reserve will be suspended until the implementation of the development projects envisaged by the Ministry of Tourism.”
It is noted, however, that no assessment of the progress of the said projects of the Ministry was made prior to the transfer of the land to Green Mada Land.
Whereas article 23 of law 2008-014 of August 23, 2008, on the private Domain of the State, decentralized communities, and legal entities under public law provides that “An administrative deed of transfer of land with an area of more than ten hectares is accompanied by a specifications document outlining the rights and obligations of the purchaser,” whereas in this case, no specifications document was attached to the emphyteutic lease contract concluded between the Malagasy State and Green Mada Land.
Such are the reasons for this cancellation, signed by Hajo Andrianainarivelo, Minister of Territorial Development, Housing and Public Works (MAHTP), and this time under the presidency of Andry Rajoelina.
The Malina team submitted a request for a certificate of registration and legal status of the ‘Public Domain Land Reserve of Ampasindava-Sakatia’ tn°1807 – b0, located in Sakatia.
According to the document signed on October 10, 2020 by the manager at the Land Property Conservation of Nosy-Be, the property inspector Andoniaina Andriamandratosoa, this reserve is still in favor of the company Green Mada Land.
« I do not know why the decree I signed has not been enforced,” Hajo Andrianainarivelo wonders during our interview on April 10, 2025, six years after our visit to Nosy Be. “Yet, this decree was published in the official journal (note: N°JO: 3928 J.O: December 23, 2019 Page: 7801 – site CNLEGIS) », he continues. “To make a long story short, I decided to annul the lease agreement due to the discovery of irregularities in the procedure for granting this reserve by way of emphyteutic lease to Green Mada Land, as well as the absence of a specifications document appended to the contract,” Hajo Andrianainarivelo informs us.
In this order for the cancellation of the lease, the company Green Mada Land has two months to appeal. “And the company filed a legal appeal because the Ministry of Territorial Development drafted a defense memorandum,” Hajo Andrianainarivelo further argues. “However, until my departure from the ministry in 2022, no court decision was issued.”
According to the latter, Joel Randriamandranto, the Minister of Transport, Tourism and Meteorology at the time, was informed of this cancellation following notice 633-MAHTP/19 dated October 30, 2019.
On October 13, 2020, the Minister Joël Randriamandranto responded with note 028/MTT/SG/DGTOUR requesting Minister Hajo Andrianainarivelo to reconsider the situation of the emphyteutic lease approved on August 18, 2016, and to repeal the said decree. “In accordance with the business plan provided by the said company before the conclusion of the emphyteutic lease, the investment project significantly contributes to the development of tourism in Madagascar through the consequent increase in foreign exchange earnings, the creation of direct and indirect jobs for nationals, the improvement of the local population’s standard of living, as well as the enhancement of the image of the Madagascar destination,” the signatory of the note argues. Joël Randriamandranto emphasizes the infrastructure and the quality of services planned that would meet the demands of high-end clientele. He also mentions the investments and financial commitments made by the promoter prior to the approval of the contract.
Until the finalization of this article, on April 17, 2025, the contract signed by the Minister of Tourism, Ulrich Andriantiana, and Green Mada Land on March 31, 2016, has not been terminated. “My four successors, among others, Roland Ratsiraka, Brunelle Razafintsiandraofa, Joël Randriamandranto, and Viviane Dewa, have not revoked the contract with Green Mada Land,” Ulrich Andriantiana claims.
For this former Minister of Tourism, all the procedures for allocating this site to Green Mada Land were respected. “A call for expressions of interest for this RFT in Sakatia was launched in 2016. We relied on a Malagasy company, led by nationals presenting a serious and thoughtful business plan, able to meet the RFT status. Green Mada Land stood out from the rest. A commission validated the offer. These steps are verifiable in the ministry’s archives,” Urlich Andriantiana defends against the reasons put forward by Hajo Andrianainarivelo to cancel the lease.
It should be noted that Nosy Sakatia, classified as a Tourism Land Reserve (RFT), is inalienable. « The purchase of land is therefore prohibited, making the granting of leases the only option for both Malagasy and foreign investors, » Urlich Andriantiana informs us.
The former minister simultaneously denies the rumors about himself and Voahangy Rajaonarimampianina’s sister. “Neither the family of President Rajaonarimampianina’s wife nor I are in any way part of the shareholders of this company.”
Unsecured investments
Green Mada Land is incorporated under Malagasy Law and run by Nosy Be natives. Its share capital amounts to MGA 20,000,000. The company is registered with the Register of Commerce and Sociétés (RCS) under N° 2015 b 00511, following the immatriculation dated June 17, 2015.
On the website of the Economic Development Board of Madagascar (EFDBM), the main activities of the company Green Mada Land consist of “contributing to a sustainable development policy. All reforestation work, conservation, protection, and restoration of all forest areas.”
“The cancellation order issued by Hajo Andrianainarivelo is void. It is a unilateral decision,” Naina Andriantsitohaina argues, the current Minister of Decentralization and Territorial Development. “In my opinion, even the President of the Republic is not aware of this decision,” the senior executive continues. For him, only the Minister of Tourism, who is the signatory of the contract, is authorized to terminate this agreement. “The Ministry of Decentralization and Territorial Development is responsible for land security. This concerns the exploitation rights of 17 hectares out of the 567 hectares of RFT in Sakatia. And if other promoters want to invest there, I would not be against it. The contract with Green Mada Land remains in effect to this day, just like the emphyteutic lease,” Naina Andriantsitohaina emphasizes.
Moreover, Article 7 of the contract between the Ministry of Tourism and Green Mada Land clearly states that this contract can only be terminated “in the event of breaches or violations of the provisions laid out in Article 2, particularly regarding the type of investment, duly noted by the authority responsible for oversight.”
Regarding the defense memorandum mentioned by his predecessor Hajo Andrianainarivelo, Naina Andriantsitohaina asserts that « the file on a possible lawsuit by Green Mada Land remains unfound or almost nonexistent. »
When asked about the order for the lease cancellation, the company Green Mada Land admits that it was not informed of the decision. “We have not been notified either administratively or by a bailiff of this act. As a result, we have not filed a legal appeal. But if we had been notified of this decision, we would not have hesitated to appeal to the court due to our financial commitments in this project that is dear to us,” the company representative who wanted to remain anonymous emphasizes. “We have nothing to hide, but we rely on discretion,” our interlocutor continues. “If the company committed an offense or violated the terms of the agreement, why not discuss it ?” the company representative adds.
The investment cost for this five-star hotel complex project of 150 to 200 bungalows, as stipulated in the contract, is between € 30 to 50 million. “It is an eco-lodge project that focuses on respecting the wildlife and flora of the area.” In close collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the EDBM, and the Integrated Growth Poles (PIC) project, the company has identified strict measures to preserve the natural, cultural, and human wealth of the island.
An amount between $100,000 and 200,000 were spent on this study. “In our business plan, 1 to 2 Hectares out of the 17 Hectares will be allocated for the resettlement of the population with the construction of other infrastructures such as a church, a school, a market, and a well. The residents will enjoy electrification and drinking water with our solar infrastructures. The project will generate both indirect and direct jobs during the implementation and construction phase until the opening of the complex. The hotel will hire 300 to 400 employees and will prioritize the local population. Compensation and indemnities for the expropriated have been the subject of studies,” the company representative reveals, confirming Article 7 of the lease.
However, part of the population of Sakatia remains skeptical about the authenticity of this project. In a statement published on the website naturaljustice.org, which is maintained by an organization composed of a team of lawyers who are legal experts specialized in human rights and environmental law, ‘the Fokonolona of Sakatia’ explains that this is a presidential project. « On May 24, 2023, the Prefect of Nosy Be summoned representatives of our community to discuss a population relocation to make way for a presidential project.’ According to the residents of Sakatia, another lease is in progress. ‘We have neither been informed nor involved in the process of issuing these two leases, even though they directly concern us, » the publication emphasizes.
On its part, the company talks about ‘osmosis’ with the residents of Sakatia, in its statement: « The project is designed in osmosis with the inhabitants of Nosy Sakatia, in respect of customs, know-how, and local social dynamics.’ This participatory approach ensures the commitment of the populations and their active involvement at every stage. » And to continue that it is by no means a presidential project. “We have developed a reasoned business plan offering concrete long-term development prospects, not only for Sakatia and Nosy Be but for the Diana region.”
The project was supposed to start after obtaining the lease. But it was perpetually halted by protests from villagers supported by foreign operators who fear competition, and later by the Covid pandemic, according to the company. In 2022, the company reopened the project with the Ministry of Tourism. The latter requested an update of the business plan. Green Mada Land restarts with a new activity model approved by the Minister of Tourism, with the same lease from August 18, 2016. This is confirmed by the certificate of registration and legal status issued on April 11, 2025, certifying the lease in the name of Green Mada Land. However, to this day, the topographical surveys have not been carried out, repeatedly delaying the business plan.
In this file concerning Sakatia Island, the distortions in decision-making between two entities of the same administration have serious consequences on the security of investments. Despite Law No. 2015-039 on Public-Private Partnerships and Law No. 2023-002 on investments in Madagascar, investors constantly feel endangered. This disparity paves the way for speculation and manipulation that victimizes the local population and especially investors.
Expert opinion: Lahatra Harijery: Technical Director – solidarity of stakeholders on land
(Solidarité des Intervenants sur le Foncier – SIF)
On tourist land reserves (Réserves Foncières Touristiques – RFT): The Ministry of Tourism submits a request to the Ministry of Territorial Development so as the latter allocate a land reserve assigned to the promotion of tourism. This allocation concerns the private domains of the State. Then, the Ministry of Territorial Development publishes a decree for the allocation of the domain in RFT. The Ministry of Tourism takes care of the procedures for searching for investors. For Sakatia Island, it is the company Green Mada Land that obtained the exploitation rights through a lease. The domain remains State property and will not be registered in the name of the company.
By Elise Nandrasana and Nadia Raonimanalina
Source cover photo: Madagascar Tourism
