AU sends high-level delegation to Madagascar after military coup ousts President Rajoelina
Randrianirina, who is set to be sworn in as transitional president tomorrow, has pledged to hold elections within two years and to implement institutional reforms.
The African Union (AU) has deployed a high-level delegation to Madagascar to engage national leaders in efforts to restore constitutional order in the country.
In a statement, the AU said the decision followed resolutions adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) at its 1305th and 1306th meetings, held on October 14 and 15, respectively, regarding the situation in the island nation.
More To Read
- Madagascar military takes control after President Andry Rajoelina flees
- The ‘food heroes’ cultivating global change
- Madagascar’s political crisis deepens as President Rajoelina dissolves parliament
- President Andry Rajoelina confirms he fled Madagascar, citing threats to his life
- African Union rejects any unconstitutional change of government in Madagascar
- Rajoelina flees Madagascar as military mutiny and protests escalate
"These AU-led diplomatic engagements are aimed at supporting the launch of an inclusive, Malagasy-owned, and civilian-led national dialogue and consultations conducive to restoring stability, strengthening social cohesion, and upholding constitutional governance," the bloc said in a statement released on Thursday.
The move comes a day after the AU suspended Madagascar from the continental body following a coup that ousted its president.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said it was urgent to undertake concerted diplomatic efforts to promote “genuine and constructive dialogue among Malagasy stakeholders, including the authorities, political parties, civil society, youth representatives, and other actors,” with the goal of facilitating a peaceful return to constitutional and democratic order.
The team, which will be coordinated with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union Commission (AUC), will include members of the AU’s Panel of the Wise and a Special Envoy to Antananarivo in the coming days.
Youssouf reaffirmed the AU’s “unwavering solidarity with the people of Madagascar in their legitimate aspirations for good governance, democracy, sustainable development, and prosperity.”
"He further calls upon all Malagasy stakeholders to engage, in good faith, in a spirit of compromise and national unity, towards a peaceful and consensual resolution of the current political situation," the statement adds.
The AU’s deployment follows the seizure of power by Colonel Michael Randrianirina and his elite CAPSAT army unit on Tuesday, shortly after parliament voted to impeach embattled President Andry Rajoelina, who fled the country amid escalating youth-led protests over water shortages, corruption, and economic hardship.
Randrianirina, who is set to be sworn in as transitional president tomorrow, has pledged to hold elections within two years and to implement institutional reforms.
He maintains that the takeover was not a coup but “a necessary intervention to prevent national collapse.”
Top Stories Today
