LOI 1345: MADAGASCAR Marius Fransman’s message to Andris Piebalgs

N° 1325 31/01/2012 MADAGASCAR Marius Fransman’s message to Andris Piebalgs The joint mission to Antananarivo that had been planned for 10 to 11 February by the French Minister for Cooperation Henri de Raincourt and the European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs, is dead in the water (ION 1325). The South African Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marius Fransman, who is in charge of the Madagascar issue for his country, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decided to put a stop to it on 26 January. The Indian Ocean Newsletter has learnt that they then sent Piebalgs a message that is absolutely clear: no question of their approval for such a visit until the President of the High Authority for Transition (HAT), Andry Rajoelina known as TGV has promulgated the amnesty authorising ousted President Marc Ravalomanana to return to his country. The SADC has set the end of February as the deadline for promulgating this amnesty. This message was carried by the European External Action Service (EEAS) managing director for Africa, Nicholas Westcott to TGV’s director for international relations, Annick Rajaona, whom he met in the sidelines of the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa last week-end. Rajaona told him she would pass the message on to TGV, without nevertheless making any undertaking about the amnesty. On the other hand, she did argue for European Union (EU) aid to help deal with the serious economic and social crisis in Madagascar. There is little chance of a favourable reaction from Brussels unless TGV gives way on the amnesty!