Elias Mbao
31 May 2011
South African Development Community (SADC) heads of state summit has mandated Zambian President Rupiah Banda and Mozambique’s ex-president Joaquim Chissano to a meeting of rival stakeholders in the three-year-old Madagascar political crisis.
However, the summit could not deal with the political situation in Zimbabwe due to the absence of SADC mediator, President Jacob Zuma, who skipped the meeting because of the just-ended local elections in his country. But he wrote to the committee explaining his absentia.
According to government-run news agency, Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) that accompanied President Banda to the SADC summit on Friday in Namibian capital Windhoek, the Zambian leader, who chairs the regional bloc’s organ on politics, defence and security cooperation and Mr Chissano, the mediator in the Malagasy political impasse, were tasked to convene a meeting at the headquarters in Gaborone to discuss Madagascar problems.
“The summit noted the development of a roadmap for returning the country to constitutional normalcy in Madagascar,” ZANIS reported from a summit attended by Presidents Ian Khama (Botswana), Joseph Kabila (DRC), Amando Guebuza (Mozambique), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe) and host Hifikepunye Pohamba among others.
Madagascar has been engulfed in political turmoil since 2009 when radio DJ and ex-mayor of the capital Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, toppled democratically elected president Marc Ravalomanana with the help of the army. SADC , which spear headed the formation of the coalition government in Zimbabwe, has mandated that the meeting of the Madagascar rival camps is convened.
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Link:
Banda, Chissano to Talk Madagascar Crisis