Overview

• President Andry Rajoelina presided over a state ceremony in Antananarivo after the remains arrived Monday night, with the coffrets draped in Madagascar’s flag and escorted through the capital.
• One skull is presumed to be that of King Toera, beheaded during the 1897 Ambiky massacre, though a joint committee said the identification remains presumptive rather than conclusive.
• Sakalava heir Harea Georges Kamamy led a multi‑day road procession toward the Menabe region, performing traditional rites with water from the Tsiribihina River.
• Authorities said the remains are expected to be buried later this week in the Belo Tsiribihina area, with the culture ministry indicating the royal skull could be transferred to Ambiky for rites in mid‑September.
• The return, formalized in Paris after a handover from the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, has revived disputes within Sakalava clans over custody and the final burial site.