Hi Alex,
As usual, I understand and agree with your point. I was in Tana at the start of Nov, and had a rendez-vous to pick up my driver's license yesterday (25 Nov), but I wanted to be as far away from Tana as possible during the "sommet". They closed schools to limit the traffic jams and possibilities of terrorism, but why this was extended to outlying villages, like Mahajunga and Maroantsetra, can only be explained by making everyone feel good. It's like the "pont" (jour payé et chomé) that they insert when a holiday falls on a Thursday, for example. The businesses pay for it but, hey, I'm a politician so it doesn't affect me!