Hopewell Radebe
30 April 2009
Pretoria — The first diplomatic challenge facing incoming president Jacob Zuma is whether to host ousted Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana, who has formally asked SA for presidential privileges and security.
Should Zuma agree, Ravalomanana would be the second foreign leader to be exiled in SA and accommodated at taxpaye rs' expense.
Former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide has been living in the country with his family since May 2004.
Foreign Affairs director-general Ayanda Ntsaluba said yesterday there was lot of political groundwork to be done by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc ), the African Union and the United Nations before the atmosphere in Madagascar could be considered safe for Ravalomanana to return.
"Therefore, the government is carefully considering his request and would respond to Ravalomanana soon.
"We believe it would not be safe for him to go back so soon," he said.
Ntsaluba said if Ravalomanana went back now , this would put civilians in danger after an announcement this week in Madagascar that Ravalomanana had set up a parallel government challenging the rule of Andry Rajoelina.
Rajoelina's administration is not recognised by the international community, which has described his takeover as a coup d'etat.
Ntsaluba said the ministerial troika of political, defence and security was preparing to visit Madagascar with Sadc to facilitate negotiations between Ravalomanana's political party and Rajoelina's "illegitimate" govern-ment.
On the preparations for the presidential inauguration ceremony next week, Ntsaluba confirmed that 41 countries had indicated their willingness to attend.
Of these, 21 would be represented by their heads of state while 20 others would either be sending their foreign ministers or high level special envoys.
Ntsaluba said the names of heads of state could not be released for security reasons but confirmed that US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would not be attending.
Asked about Sudan , he said although the country had been invited, President Omar al-Bashir would not be coming.
Al-Bashir defied an international arrest warrant on charges of war crimes in Darfur recently and attended an Arab summit in Qatar.
Ntsaluba said because SA was a signatory to various international conventions, it would face the challenge of being required to arrest him.
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As a matter of fact, Madagascar is trapped in their own deep floodable trench now... But still, the HAT is proud of their result and put all the faults in the ousted President back... accusing him of being the only reason of the critical situation. That is what we are used to call non-responsible government... throwing the hot potato like kids are used to do. Shaming!
Let's assume that Ravalomanana was a very bad President... Do you think that he would be helpless as the new government is today? He is well-known as man of field and jumped in all opportunity to help Malagasy as far as he can. But in lieu of doing so, Andry Rajoelina (HAT) spend more time and money on criticizing the ousted President... which is normal because they have nothing in the purse and still have no concrete project. Let's feed the people with hate of the former regime! Let's destroy the least we have! Who cares???
Let the gentleman who took power by use of force leave and allow the president to return, thats the solution. Sorry all these people have to suffer
Yes Madagascar needs some aids but now, in front of the crisis, we don't need such help. Why? because I personally call International Communities no to help us with this government of Higher Transitional Authority. This government is not legal that's why we "Legalists" cried our freedom to overpower this government. The help that we need urgently is to help us to push this government of coup d'état. We don't like this because French country is behind of this. Modern colonization is now returned in our country . This is due with fool french country. Our President Marc Ravalomanana should be finished his mandat until 2011. TGV as it called destroys our economy, social and especially mental. How can we restore our country if it continues for a long time. We are afraid of that situation. Help us to recover from this
The ousted pdt is slowly achieving his objective to create a civil war in Madagascar. we are just on the brink of that, and if there is any way to stop him and his allies on these acts of banditry and terrors mainly in the capital city and Antsirabe. They use the corrupted fund to fuel the meshing up around. I am still asking a question on why the regional and continental organizations offer their supports to such kind of people. And some media fail to truly tell the facts but incite civil war, yet gaining support from internationa reporters; Do they wish that Madagascar plunge deeply in trouble???!!!!
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