AU slaps tough sanctions against Madagascar’s regime

(PANA)-- The African Union (AU) Wednesday imposed sanctions against Madagascar leader, Andry Rajoelina, senior military officials, judges and members of his political party for dragging their feet against international pressure to set up a lawfully-recognised government.

The African Union’s peace and security council (PSC) said it approved sanctions against President Rajoelina and 108 members of his ruling class. They include politicians allied to his regime, senior judges of the country’s courts and military officers supporting his government’s stronghold on power, said African Union Commissioner for peace and security, Ramtane Lamamra, after a PSC meeting on Wednesday.

The officials have been banned from international travels and their assets will be frozen, including bank accounts. The UN has also been asked to refuse requests by Madagascar to have its envoys accredited. PSC President Albert Muchanga, the Zambian ambassador, said the AU imposed sanctions against the Malagasy politicians one year after it became clearer that it was not working to restore the constitution.

‘This is a historic occasion. It is a year since the unconstitutional change of government in that country. We met on 19 February and called on the de facto authorities to accept the Maputo and Addis Ababa agreements and to nullify all other domestic laws counter to those agreements,’ Muchanga said.

‘We note with regret that this was not done,’ he said. Madagascar’s ruling elites, including three other presidents, agreed to form a power-sharing government to work out a reform plan to end the cycle coups that have plagued the country. The sanctions against the 109 officials would make it impossible for them to obtain travel clearance from all the 53 AU members. The AU said all members must respect the PSC decision.

Lamamra said those targeted are members of President Rajoelina’s ruling elite ‘who are known to be supportive’ of obstacles to restore constitutional order in the Indian Ocean state. An AU expert panel has also been detailed to work out a list of economic entities that have been working to support the regime and sanctions would be imposed against those businesses later.

‘There is very little room for patience one year after a coup…we believe the sanctions is a track which will get the parties to come back to negotiations,’ Lamamra said.

President Rajoelina has rebuffed past attempts by the AU to initiate fresh dialogue to have the two agreements, setting up a transitional government re-negotiated. The agreements define the power-sharing structure of the Transitional Government. It defines an electoral timeframe, leading to the holding of a presidential election before November 2010.

In the Maputo agreement, each of the three other political camps has a share of cabinet positions and their leaders were to become co-Presidents of the Transitional Government. But Rajoelina says the attitude of his opponents is such that he cannot work with them.

Lamamra said the AU would have imposed sanctions earlier, but gave more time for an agreement. ‘The Maputo and the Addis Ababa agreements were concluded within six months of the coup. We did not impose these sanctions because we were encouraging the implementation of these agreements,’ Lamamra told a news conference.

He said the sanctions were slapped against President Rajoelina because he made a public statement that he was not committed to the implementation of the agreements. The Addis Ababa agreement offers an amendment to the powers of the President of the Transitional Authority as stated in the Maputo deal. It also re-defines the role of the temporary government.

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