Andry Rajoelina, left, with African Union mediator Joaquim Chissano and deposed president Marc Ravolamanana at talks last year (Photo Courtesy L'Express)

Johannesburg — There is still no advance towards any solution to the crisis in Madagascar, despite all the mediation attempts undertaken by the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

On Saturday the head of the mediating team, former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, met in the Johannesburg suburb of Sandton with the current SADC chairperson, Congolese president Joseph Kabila, and with Mozambican President Armando Guebuza who chairs the SADC body on political, defence and security cooperation.

After the meeting, Chissano told reporters that there was a lack of political will on the part of the four Madagascan leaders involved in the negotiations - Andry Rajoelina, the man who seized power in the March 2009 coup, the man he overthrew, Marc Ravalomanana, and two previous presidents, Albert Zafy and Didier Ratsiraka.

Despite the current impasse, Chissano insisted that the mediators would continue their attempts to bring the leaders into a fruitful dialogue.

"We shall continue to make contacts with all the parties, including the forces who are in Madagascar, to find out what is the best way of helping that country to emerge from its crisis", said Chissano.

An alternative option would just be to leave matters as they are, and let the international sanctions imposed against the Rajoelina regime do their job - but Chissano did not favour such a passive attitude. He said he still thought it necessary to give a space for dialogue, and for SADC to help Madagascar.

Chissano recalled that at the last meeting in Pretoria Rajoelina had simply wanted to sign a bilateral agreement with Ravalomanana, which the other two leaders would then be told to accept. Rajoelina wanted his text of an agreement signed, without any debate.

Ravalomanana, however, wanted a face-to-face meeting with Rajoelina, said Chissano, "not to sign an agreement, but to discuss certain matters that concern the two of them. But for a complete agreement, the others must also participate.

So there was no advance, and an attempt was made to call a second meeting in Pretoria. The mediators sent out a new proposal to be considered by the four parties.

Ravalomanana, Ratsiraka and Rafy sent in their comments - but Rajoelina only informed the mediating team that he was pushing ahead with a unilateral initiative that would lead to a "Madagascar National Conference". But the latest indications are that this scheme has collapsed.

Chissano said that his meeting with Guebuza and Kabila was intended to review the Madagascar situation. The two SADC leaders thought the mediation was on the right track and encouraged the mediating team to continue its efforts.

SADC Executive Secretary Tomas Salomao said that the mediators are preparing a report on the Madagascar crisis that will be presented to the next summit of the African Union in Uganda.