H.E. Andry Rajoelina, President of the Transition Government of Madagascar Upbeats AU Sanctions
By Gadiola Emanuel - 8:15:00 AM
Hon. Bernard K. Membe (MP), Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation (left),
hand-delivers a special message to H.E. Andry Rajoelina, President of
the Transition Government of Madagascar yesterday in the State House
located in Antananarivo City. Minister Membe was in Madagascar as a
Government Special Envoy to hand-deliver a special message on behalf of
President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania.
By TAGIE DAISY MWAKAWAGO
Antananarivo, Madagascar
President of Transitional Government of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina has
appealed to the international community, essentially the AU and SADC to remove
the sanctions imposed on his transitional government.
He
made such profound request yesterday when he met with Hon. Bernard K.
Membe (MP), the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International
Co-operation, in
his State House located in Antananarivo City.
Minister Membe was in Madagascar as a Government Special Envoy to
hand-deliver a Special Message on behalf of President Jakaya Mrisho
Kikwete of the United
Republic of Tanzania.
Speaking to the reporters after the meeting, Hon. Membe said that the
message he carried from President Kikwete was a follow up on the development of
transitional government in Madagascar, as it prepares for the upcoming
Presidential elections. He further noted that President Kikwete wanted to know
the outcome of discussion between President Rajoelina and the United Nations’ Secretary
General Ban Ki moon in their recent meeting this year.
President Kikwete currently serves a Chairperson of the Southern Africa
Development Community (SADC –Troika), after inheriting the Chairmanship from
South Africa last August 2012.
On his part, President Rajoelina appealed to President Kikwete to assist
in lifting any and all sanctions imposed upon his transitional government and
for perpetrating the status quo. Other sanctions targeted the 109 accomplices
and confidants of President Rajoelina for their involvement in the 2009 coup d’etat. He explained that the
conditions set in the roadmap by the international community have been fully
implemented.
Further, President Rajoelina availed the commitment of his transitional
government to see a democratic election takes place in July 2013.
In his response, Minister Membe said that the removal of sanctions is
not conditional to the return of Marc Ravalomanana, former President of the
Republic of Madagascar. “The roadmap is
for SADC-Troika to see that the upcoming elections will be fair and profound
for the people of Madagascar,” said Hon. Membe.
The sanctions in question were imposed by the African Union and supported
by the Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) and the International
Community.
Minister Membe further explained that President Rajoelina informed him that his transitional
government has fulfilled its obligation as mandated by AU, which included his withdrawal
of presidential candidacy in the upcoming elections in July of this year. Others are storing peace and normalcy back in
the country in the preparation for the democratic election later this year.
Hon. Membe led the Tanzania delegation that included Ambassador Liberata
Mulamula, Senior Advisor (Diplomatic Affairs) to President Kikwete, Mr. Mkwizu
of the President’s Office, Mr. Assah Mwambene, Director of Information in the
Ministry of Communication, Youth, Culture and Sports and other Governmental
officials. For the Madagascar’s part,
the delegation was led by President Rajoelina, Mr. Andriatina Jacques Ulrich,
Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs and other transitional government
officials.
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