The fourth meeting of the ICG… stillborn

“We are very concerned by the situation in Madagascar” commented France’s ambassador in Madagascar, Jean Marc Châtaigner, following the announcement of the international mediators’ meeting cancellation. 

The fourth meeting of the ICG was a France’s led initiative in face of the new political tensions generated in response to the third political Maputo meeting, boycotted by Andry Rajoelina. To that day, delegations involved in this meeting are blocked in South Africa, for being banned from entry on the Malagasy territory. It was, by the way, the main reason of the fourth International Contact Group’s meeting, since the African Union’s Commission actually invited the mobility leaders who are still deprived of any mean to come home, though the meeting was basically meant to be held in Antananarivo. 

According to plan, another ICG meeting is supposed to be taking place by the beginning of the year 2010. In between, Andry Rajoelina and his accomplices are displaying a firm will to do away with the implementation of the Maputo and Addis-Ababa agreements.  

The French ambassador keeps on emphasizing, on behalf of the international community, the paramount need of a consensus between the political actors of this crisis.