ism ▁and ▁trade ▁re venue ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁damage ▁to ▁infrastr ucture , ▁such ▁as ▁bom bed ▁brid ges ▁and ▁buildings ▁dam aged ▁by ▁ar son . ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁protest s ▁led ▁by ▁And ry ▁R ajo el ina ▁against ▁R aval oman ana ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁became ▁violent , ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 7 0 ▁people ▁killed . ▁Modern ▁politics ▁in ▁Mad agas car ▁are ▁colored ▁by ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Mer ina ▁sub j ug ation ▁of ▁coast al ▁communities ▁under ▁their ▁rule ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁The ▁consequ ent ▁t ension ▁between ▁the ▁high land ▁and ▁coast al ▁populations ▁has ▁period ically ▁fla red ▁up ▁into ▁isolated ▁events ▁of ▁violence . ▁ ▁Mad agas car ▁has ▁histor ically ▁been ▁perce ived ▁as ▁being ▁on ▁the ▁margin ▁of ▁main stream ▁African ▁affairs ▁despite ▁being ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Organisation ▁of ▁African ▁Unity , ▁which ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁and ▁dissol ved ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁to ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁African ▁Union . ▁Mad agas car ▁was ▁not ▁permitted ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁first ▁African ▁Union ▁sum mit ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁dispute ▁over ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁president ial ▁election , ▁but ▁rejo ined ▁the ▁African ▁Union ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁after ▁a ▁ 1 4 - month ▁hi atus . ▁Mad agas car ▁was ▁again ▁susp ended ▁by ▁the ▁African ▁Union ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0