When i was robbed / August 7 2009 / At home

août 16, 2009 dans Société

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Analysis: Hurdles in the way of Madagascar’s new deal

août 15, 2009 dans Politics

Analysis: Hurdles in the way of Madagascar’s new deal

Photo: Flickr/r1_lita’s

The aftermath of the February protests

JOHANNESBURG, 13 August 2009 (IRIN) – It will take some time for Madagascar’s feuding political rivals to implement their breakthrough agreement, but while hopes are high that the newly signed deal will pave the way to reconciliation and stability, there are still some serious hurdles.

"I wish this were the end of the political conflict – but alas, there is lots of scope for continuing struggles," Stephen Ellis, professor of social sciences at the Free University of Amsterdam and senior researcher at the African Studies Centre in Leiden, the Netherlands, told IRIN.

The power-sharing deal signed in Maputo, capital of Mozambique, on 9 August brought Andry Rajoelina, former mayor of Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, face to face with ousted President Marc Ravalomanana for the first time since political violence began in January 2009. The standoff culminated in what the international community condemned as a "coup-style" change of leadership on 17 March.

After months of failed mediation attempts, the latest talks, facilitated by former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano on behalf of the international community under the auspices of the African Union (AU), were widely hailed.