Madagascar"s president, Andry Rajoelina, named an army officer as his new prime minister on Sunday after the collapse of power-sharing negotiations to end months of political turmoil on the Indian Ocean island, according to Reuters. "The president of the transition enforces the nomination of Colonel Vital Albert Camille," Presidency Secretary General Haja Resampa told reporters." Colonel Vital immediately urged opposition leaders to work with his government, but one senior opposition figure said the appointment was illegal. Vital"s appointment will seriously dent hopes of persuading Rajoelina to return to the negotiating table and rattle foreign investors eyeing Madagascar"s oil and mineral resources. On Friday evening, Rajoelina sacked Prime Minister Eugene Mangalaza after the opposition said it would form a consensus government with or without him. "I appeal to the Malagasy people and to the older political leaders to help the government that I lead," Vital told journalists.
