The Syrte Summit: a new hope for the legalistic people

Government’s unconstitutional changes on the continent came up high in the list of burning topics evoked in Syrte during the 13th summit of the African Union. The African Union’s president, Jean Ping, is particularly keen on assessing the recent Coups which suddenly upset Africa lately during this summit.

Jean Ping has again regretted the situation in countries as Niger, Somalia, Madagascar, or Guinea and Mauritania. It is no source of pride for the Madagascans but, in all cases, the country is mentioned among the predators of democracy, after the ousting of Marc Ravalomanana in March, whereas he was re-elected for a second mandate in the end of 2006.

The legalistic side has the eyes locked on Syrte since the end of June. Marc Ravalomanana is thereupon present to plead his cause. Beyond the condemnations, how will the African chiefs of State react? That is the question.

In the same time, the relaunch of negotiations monitored by the Mozambican ex-president Joachim Chissano is being expected. He has been appointed by the SADC as being the new mediator for the Madagascan crisis, but nothing else since the Johannesburg summit.  

For 4 months soon, Marc Ravalomanana has been furrowing Africa to find a decisive solution to the Madagascan political crisis. For five months soon his supporters have been gathering onto different places to defend the president’s on going mandate, but the outcome of this power struggle remains even more undecided. In spite of certain weariness, the summit of Syrte raised a new hope of crisis exit.