Madagascar Dispute Nearing Resolution?

South Africa  |  04.21.10   By Randy Odaga

The protagonists in Madagascar’s political crisis have agreed to attend talks in South Africa on April 28.

President Andry Rajoelina ousted Marc Ravalomanana with the help of dissident soldiers in March last year after weeks of popular protests.

The two have been in an impasse ever since as international mediators work on the creation of a unity government.

Rajoelina’s office said late on Tuesday he would go to the talks in the interests of the nation.

A spokesman for Ravalomanana said on Wednesday he planned to attend in an attempt to return democracy to Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island and the biggest producer of vanilla.

The crisis has affected foreign investment in the Indian Ocean island and battered the tourism industry.

Last month the army said Rajoelina had until the end of April to come up with an acceptable way out of the political conflict.

The latest round of talks has been arranged by mediators from France, South Africa, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The African Union and analysts say a diplomatic divide exists among African nations with Anglophone countries favoring Ravalomanana and Francophone countries siding with Rajoelina.

Ravalomanana had a rocky relationship with France and has accused the island’s former colonial power of supporting Rajoelina’s rise to power.

Rajoelina has been suspicious of SADC since Ravalomanana fled to exile in South Africa and the economic bloc of eastern and southern African nations (COMESA) said it was mulling military intervention to restore constitutional order.

France and the United Nations then warned against military intervention and urged further dialogue.

Tension in Madagascar has grown in recent weeks.

There have been rumors of coup plots and security forces have arrested 21 people since Sunday on suspicion of plotting attacks.

The military police in the capital city of Antananarivo reported that a grenade was thrown at the home of the justice minister on Tuesday evening, but no one was hurt

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