From Al Jazeera

Madagascar has announced that the southeastern African country’s former President Marc Ravalomanana will not be deported and will instead be asked to take part in the national reconciliation efforts.

Ravalomanana was placed under house arrest after returning from exile earlier this week.

“We are not a country that exiles or deports its own citizens. That’s not at all our mentality. He is here and we hope that Ravalomanana will actually participate in this [reconciliation] process,” said Henry Rabary-Njaka, chief of staff of Madagascar’s presidency.

Earlier on Saturday, Madagascar police used tear gas to break up a rally by supporters of the former president, who was overthrown in a coup.

Up to 300 people turned up for the banned protest in the capital Antananarivo, throwing stones at police cars and setting fire to cardboard boxes.

One man had two fingers crushed while trying to move a huge stone to block a road, the AFP news agency said, adding that he was arrested by the police and taken to hospital.

Read more at Al Jazeera