. Andry Rajoelina , the mayor of Antananarivo , took to the streets one week ago , declaring himself the Indian Ocean island nation 's leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300 . Watch an iReport on the Madagascar violence '' But President Marc Ravalomanana has fired him and put someone else in the mayoral job . Rajoelina had called the rally to unveil his new government at the May 13th Plaza , according to Brittany Martin , an American citizen who is a Harvard Fellow and lives in Antananarivo . Martin said the rally was peaceful in the morning hours of Saturday , until gunshots rang out in the afternoon after the protesters marched from the plaza to the palace . She said it was unclear where the shots were coming from . Some media reports blamed foreign mercenaries for the shootings ; others said army guards were responsible or that the army was firing at the mercenaries to protect the crowd . Violence in Madagascar began January 26 , when protesters stormed state-run television and radio stations in Antananarivo . Hours earlier , the government had
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the leaders of Madagascar to resolve their differences after an anti-government rally a day earlier turned violent and left more than two dozen people dead . Protesters rally Saturday before violence broke out near the Presidential Palace . In a statement issued by his spokesperson , Ban deplored the violence and called Sunday on authorities `` to urgently initiate a fair process by which those responsible will be brought to justice . '' Ban also blamed the `` tragedy '' on a `` lack of restraint on all sides . '' `` The Secretary-General calls upon all concerned parties to resolve their differences through peaceful and democratic means and through the exercise of responsible leadership , '' according to the statement . A police official said the death toll from Saturday 's violence outside the Presidential Palace in the capital city of Antananarivo had risen to 26 . More than 80 were injured during the demonstration , officials said . The capital city was quiet as mourners attended a public ceremony for the dead . The violence stemmed from an ongoing dispute over who is in charge of the government