Malagasy crisis, the SADC still feels in for the decisive settlement

Does the SADC really still feel concerned by the never ending Malagasy crisis? The answer is still yes. The Southern African Development Community “remains true to its duty towards Madagascar, and pressed by the critical need to find a long term solution to the political crisis in Madagascar.” And yet, it is still unable to bring the three years old deadlock into pieces. The organization’s Office in Madagascar relies once again on the leading Malagasy parties, and pushes them to “fully implement the roadmap” and “grant due respect to the document.”
 
Quite a soft reply considering that the HAT’s leader misuses the Roadmap supposed to be respected, the way he wants to serve his own political goals at the expense of the any other force. Andry Rajoelina has indeed proclaimed in the run of his latest early electoral campaign shows that the roadmap’s requirements were met clearly enough so that the electoral process could finally be tackled. As a justification to his allegations, he declared that the other spheres were indeed represented within the transitional institutions, and that the transitional electoral commission was fully operational.

The SADC does not share the point. The HAT’s reluctance to implement the Roadmap’s Article which pledges safe and unconditional return to every politically exiled figure remains the major hurdle in the settlement process. The organization’s locally based Office addressed the issue in a general way as following: “confidence-building and national reconciliation measures, as outlined in the Roadmap, are to be implemented and respected. “

The SADC’s representation in Antananarivo is actually on the verge of confessing its skepticism concerning the HAT’s ruling power’s commitment to ever comply with what it officially signed in front of an international audience, namely opening the transitional institutions. The Office recalled these institutions’ “critical role” in the crisis. The SADC enumerated the “political neutrality expected from these institutions, more especially in the run of a national electoral process.” The reaction to the ruling power’s leader led monopolization of the national channel, and to the various sorts of bans on freedom of speech, was everything but very deterring. The SADC would like each and every party to be granted equal access to public media.
 
The crisis settlement process has not been recording any shadow of progress in Madagascar since the SADC’s summit held on August 2012, more than one year ago. Head to head talks between mediators and the main opposed leaders in this crisis, the exiled president Marc Ravalomanana, driven away by a putsch in 2009, and Andry Rajoelina, the putsch maker, brought no significant step forward. The strategically separated Rajoelina sphere demanded the privilege to lead home made negotiations. No way, confirmed the Office, for the SADC leaders remain committed to manage the implementation… the full and complying implementation of the roadmap.
 
The international community grows impatient, but keeps on expecting the regional organization to complete its mission. As stated by its Ambassador Belliard, who just left Madagascar after a three months long stay, even France is bound to respect and support the SADC’s decision. The Troika is on its way to slip into the referee’s shoes, as actually yearned by most of the concerned sides. The roadmap in its current shape will always be interpreted and manipulated according to each and every side’s convenience as long as the SADC keeps on failing to assert its authority against political jaywalkers and enforce the correct implementation of the binding international treaty.