This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

Madagascar's ousted president has tried to end his exile in South Africa but his commercial plane was forced to turn back mid-flight when the landing was blocked by the populist former disc jockey who toppled him.

Marc Ravalomanana has been exiled from the Indian Ocean island since 2009. Thousands of Ravalomanana supporters awaited his return at the capital's airport on Saturday.

But a government minister said Andry Rajoelina, the politician who toppled Ravalomanana with military backing, had issued a notice closing the country's main airports to prevent the former leader's return. Security forces fired teargas to force the last of the crowds to retreat.

Ravalomanana at first refused to leave the plane after it landed back in Johannesburg but after more than two hours he agreed to be escorted to a hotel in Pretoria by South African government officials.

Marc Ravalomanana and his wife on the plane. Photograph: Joshua Berger/AFP/Getty Images

Ravalomanana, his wife, two aides and journalists travelled on the commercial flight along with passengers not linked to the former leader. Ravalomanana said he wanted to return to Madagascar to work for peace and democracy. He has already accepted a transitional government headed by Rajoelina that is supposed to oversee elections next year.

Ravalomanana stood in 2001 elections that were disputed and led to the country being split between his rule and that of a rival, Didier Ratsiraka. Ratsiraka fled to France in 2002 but returned in November 2011 and is believed by some to have backed Rajoelina's coup to exact revenge on Ravalomanana

For months before the coup Rajoelina led rallies against Ravalomanana, whom he accused of being out of touch with the plight of the country's impoverished majority.

Ravalomanana's government at one point blocked the signal of a radio station Rajoelina owned. In response, Rajoelina supporters set fire to a building in the government broadcasting complex as well as an oil depot, a shopping mall and a private TV station linked to Ravalomanana. Scores of people were killed.

Days later soldiers opened fire on anti-government protesters, killing at least 25.

Following Rajoelina's military-backed coup, Ravalomanana was convicted in absentia of conspiracy to commit murder in a case related to the turmoil during the overthrow that forced him to leave. Security officials in Madagascar have said the toppled president will be arrested if he returns.

Ravalomanana tried to return last year but was stopped at the Johannesburg airport after aviation authorities in Madagascar wrote to say he was not welcome.