22 June 2009
The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) extraordinary Summit closed yesterday night with leaders urging rival parties in Madagascar to commit themselves to the regional body's coordinated all-inclusive dialogue aimed at restoring, peace and security in that country.
The leaders also appointed former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano to head and coordinate the all-party dialogue in Madagascar.
In a communiqué read by SADC executive secretary, Tomaz Salomao yesterday, the leaders decided that the regional body would take a proactive role in promoting and facilitating dialogue.
Dr Salomao said SADC leaders applauded the efforts of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) in restoring Madagascar to constitutional normalcy.
Vice-President George Kunda was among five Heads of State and Government that attended the Summit.
Other leaders in attendance were Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, South Africa's President Jacob Zuma who is the current SADC chairperson, Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete and Swaziland's King Mswati.
Others who attended the Summit included representatives of Heads of States and Government.
The one-day SADC extraordinary summit opened on Saturday to discuss the Madagascar political crisis among others.
Dr Salomao said the SADC leaders called on rival parties in the Madagascar political crisis to desist from violent acts and statements which could undermine the current efforts in bringing constitutional normalcy to that country.
The leaders said the ownership of the all-inclusive political dialogue should lie with the people of Madagascar themselves.
They should refrain from any form of exclusion in the process.
On Mr Chissano's appointment, the leaders agreed that the former president would be assisted by a team of mediators in facilitating the dialogue.
They also agreed that the envoy would work closely and coordinate with AU, UN and international organisations of the Franco-phone and other stakeholders.
The SADC leaders resolved that a conducive environment be created among others by identifying a venue in the SADC region that will be acceptable to all parties.
On the next venue for the forthcoming ordinary Summit, the SADC leaders decided the meeting be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the first week of September.
The decision to hold the meeting followed the stance taken by mediators from the international community and the AU to suspend discussions with rival parties in Madagascar.
The meeting was opened by South Africa's President Jacob Zuma who is SADC chairperson with a call for an inclusive political dialogue where all rival parties in the Madagascar impasse would be party to finding a solution to end the crisis.
Vice-President Kunda has since returned from South Africa where he attended the extraordinary meeting.
He arrived in Lusaka a few minutes after 13:00 hours yesterday. -ZANIS
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