24 June 2009
Maputo — The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has given former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano 30 days to solve the crisis in Madagascar.
At an emergency SADC summit last weekend, Chissano was appointed the SADC mediator on Madagascar, with the task of bringing the parties in dispute to a negotiated solution that would lead to the return of Madagascar to constitutional rule.
The democratically elected President of the island, Marc Ravalomanana, was deposed in a coup e'etat in January, which brought the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, to power. The coup was condemned by SADC and by the African Union, leading to Madagascar's suspension from these two bodies. Most European and American aid to Madagascar has been cut.
Chissano discussed the terms of reference for his Madagascar mandate on Tuesday at a meeting in Maputo with the SADC Executive Secretary, Tomas Salomao.
According to a report on the independent television station STV, Salomao said that there was consensus among SADC leaders on the appointment of Chissano. The former President was chosen because of his internationally recognised diplomatic and political experience, his deep knowledge of the southern African region, and his fluency in Madagascar's official language, French.
"To convince the opposing parties to come to the negotiating table, we had to find a person with these qualities, and I think President Joaquim Chissano is the right person", said Salomao.
Chissano's immediate task is to somehow persuade Rajoelina and his Prime Minister, Albert Zafy, to sit at the same table as Ravalomanana and with his predecessor, Didier Ratsiraka. Since the Rajoelina regime has had Ravalomanana sentenced in absentia to four years imprisonment for alleged abuse of power, it will be difficult to hold such a meeting inside Madagascar.
Salomao said that SADC's preferred solution to the crisis is to hold early elections in Madagascar, and that the AU is also of this view. This would allow the Malagasy people to choose who they wanted to lead them.
"This should happen as soon as possible so that normality returns", said Salomao, "and so that the people of Madagascar can concentrate on what is fundamental for them, which is the elimination of poverty".
Pf/ (371)
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
