France-Africa Summit – What to do about the troubling issues?

At the invitation of President Jacques Chirac, his French counterpart, President Ravalomanana will take part in the upcoming France-Africa Summit which will take place in Paris from February 19 through February 21. He left the Island, at the last minute, at 1 AM, on February 18, with a limited number of advisors. Undoubtedly, a meeting with France?s President Jacques Chirac will figure prominently on his agenda. Mr. Pierre André Wilzer, France?s deputy minister in charge of cooperation and French-speaking issues, made reference to the eventuality of such a meeting during his recent visit to Madagascar.

Under these circumstances, will one dare mention the troubling issues? That is the question to which no answer will be available until the end of the summit. As to the bilateral relationship between Madagascar and France, the thorny issue of the fate of former president Didier Ratsiraka remains, inevitably, unresolved. What are they going to do with Mr. Ratsiraka, currently a refugee on French soil, while, in his home land, a group of politicians are demanding his extradition, without, nonetheless, getting any kind of response from the Malagasy Department of Justice?

In an exclusive interview given to Radio France Internationale, before his death, former prime minister Francisque Ravony, who was also an attorney by trade, brought up this thorny issue. The former government leader has a hard time conceiving that Mr. Jacques Chirac would “abandon” Mr. Didier Ratsiraka, his personal friend. He also pointed out the provisions of the French law on this matter. Nonetheless, Mr. Ravony, in view of the situation, is convinced that Mr. Ratsiraka should have been called to account for his conduct to the Malagasy people, a long time ago, “even if it is just for the events of August 10, 1991”. That was the day when Mr. Ratsiraka, feeling highly threatened by a street riot, ordered the soldiers to shoot at the crowd, even though the demonstrators were over one half mile away from the presidential palace.

Another troubling issue: the African Union?s position vis-à-vis Madagascar. The union, as we know, has opted to postpone, until next July, their decision on whether or not Madagascar should eventually be reintegrated within its fold. On this matter, the December 15, 2002 general elections do not seem to have changed anything at all.