Sakay

The Sakay is a Malagasy Rivière at the edge of which a new Ville called Babetville was built from nothing by immigrant réunionnais of 1952 with 1977 within the framework of a fallen through political vast project which kept its name.

Origins

Supported by the Office of the development of the agricultural production at the time of its creation, Sakay was imagined by Raphaël Babet and some other political personalities réunionnaises with the whole beginning of the Années 1950.

At the time, Madagascar is still a French colony , and of Réunionnais already on the occasion to emigrate there, in particular in the wake of the policy followed by Gallieni, called “of pacification”. Thus, of 1896 with 1904, they were each day more to settle there, for example in the area of Tamatave and on all the coast while going up until Sambava. One also already attended a wave of réunionnaises installations to Antsalaka, but also to Diego Suarez, where a French military body was formerly based.

On its side, the Meeting is then confronted with a form of Paupérisation and with a demographic Explosion started at the end of the Second world war. The situation appears particularly critical in the circus wedged Cilaos, where misery prevails. Also, the project obtains the support of the mayor Irenee Accot. It will also allure Paul Badré, mayor of the Tampon as from 1953.

These considerations lead Raphaël Babet to launch an intense information campaign intended to cause candidatures at the beginning. They will be numerous and emanate especially from the inhabitants of the High of the island, the small White the Tops. The project in addition generating very positive reactions to Paris, it receives appropriations quickly, in particular on behalf of the Funds of Investment for the Economic development and Social of the Overseas departments, the FIDOM. The agricultural center created in Madagascar will profit from its financial support until in 1960, date on which Madagascar becomes independent and which sees the creation of a Partnership and Agricultural of Sakay (SPAS) functioning with its own resources and the appropriations of the French State.

Unloaded with Tamatave, the emigrants made one day of train to the capital Tananarive before being trimbalés by truck to 150 km from there, in what was at the beginning only a inhospitable Désert red less cash than 0,4 inhabitant to the square kilometer crossed by two rivers, Lily and Sakay. Everywhere where the glance carried, there were only large grasses of the bosaka and some rare trees fixed on the sides of deep valleys. Sakay was indeed established in altitude, with 900 meters, where the climate was to be bearable for the former inhabitants of the solid masses réunionnais.

The development

Soon, the trainees réunionnais parties by the means of BUMIDOM, suffering of Illettrisme and eager to go in metropolis follow one another in the training center set up by Alphonse Técher. It is installed with Babetville, locality created from nothing as from 1952. Into 1964, the landscape around had already changed and there henceforth existed infrastructures such as a Dispensaire, a Maternité, a Cinéma, school S, Hôtel S and Coopérative S on the spot. But the electricity is still absent. Located at only 150 km, the Malagasy capital was still at four hours of road in dry season, at one day after the rain.

Quickly, one finds despite everything in Sakay different silo S, a factory with Provende and breedings bovine which take part in the improvement of the race Zébu E and export their production until the capital and the Réunion. One also finds there gigantic a Porcherie which develops particularly quickly and becomes soon the more important fifth in the world. Generally, the formerly uncultivated area is transferred in a prosperous zone where the Riz mountain pushes, sown like corn. Seen plane, Sakay becomes an immense task of 40 kilometers length greenery and 60 broad being detached on the Malagasy ground.

In 1969, Sakay however shelters only 200 French families, including 169 of the Meeting. If one adds to it the Malagasy families which work there, one reaches 1.000 to 1.200 hearths gathering a total from 3.500 to 4.000 people.

The crisis and disappearance

The independence of Madagascar in 1960 is the occasion of a first crisis. The rumors are put then to run that Réunionnais and Malgaches do not mean themselves and that the emigrants will be expelled by the seconds. The August 3rd 1961, after a voyage two days in the French department, the new Malagasy president Philibert Tsiranana tries to reassure them in a speech with the press which questions it with the Aéroport of Gillot, from where it will take again the plane with Robert Lecourt, minister in charge for the Departments and Overseas territories.

He affirms: “Sakay does not pose many problems. Réunionnais are already over there. They remain there. We ask France to make at side Malagasy Sakay: it is what is currently done. The proof: we have even mayors réunionnais on our premises. Réunionnais have right to vote. I do not believe that there is really a problem réunionnais on our premises. With equal qualification, equal wages. Réunionnais should not worry. On our premises they are on their premises”.

As of 1972, a slogan emerges however in the countryside of Madagascar: “To return the ground to the Madagascans”. It is in particular stressed by the Syndicat S Madagascans, supported soon by the CFDT. With the Meeting, criticisms also develop in the impetus of the Communist party réunionnais (which tackles the character colonialist of the initiative as of 1960).

Moreover, Madagascar, Didier Ratsiraka reaches the capacity with a spirit of revenge on the White. It negotiates with Valery Giscard d'Estaing an agreement which envisages an exclusion of the media of the area, the expulsion of Réunionnais in the secrecy becoming little by little inescapable with the eyes of the two implied governments. The réunionnaises families start to leave Sakay one after the other. In 1975, the Malagasy personnel does not hesitate any more to make Grève.

During the last months, the emigrated farmers do not hesitate to bore meutrières in the walls to be able to draw over the Madagascans if. Those launch stones on the roofs and cut down the cattle. Person in charge réunionnais on the spot, André Thibault tries to maintain the calm one and to prevent the departure of a shot which would involve the setting with dead last migrants by the population resident. He manages to obtain embassy of France an inventory and an evaluation of the goods of the farmers on the departure. He also obtains that those which had Malagasy money can pour it in Paierie de France and be refunded. The Malagasy government throws it in prison but he manages to leave himself there thanks to his contacts. After being itself hidden during fifteen days, it leaves Madagascar by cargo liner in the middle of the year 1977.

The 85 réunionnaises families which remain still on the spot are expelled. Five settle with the Réunion. The others leave for the metropolis or in Guyana, where their condition is connected according to them with that of the Pieds-noirs.

Some suicides were to count in the years which followed expulsion. An interdepartmental commission ad hoc will be created in 1981 to try to study the problem, but the victims will be helped only by the General advice of the Meeting and that starting from 1983. Association for the defense and the insertion of the families of Réunionnais owners repatriated of Sakay (ADIRERS) defended their interests during these years.

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