The United Nations has invited Madagascar’s President Marc Ravalomanana, sworn in as leader of the Indian Ocean island state in May after a long power struggle, to the UN Earth summit in South Africa, officials said here on Friday.
”The invitation, from Kofi Annan, is addressed to ‘His Excellency Mr Marc Ravalomanana, President of the Republic of Madagascar,” Madagascan Foreign Marcel Ranjeva said.
Ravalomanana was sworn in as president of the island-state in May after a recount of a contentious vote held in December last year showed he had won an absolute majority and, therefore, pushed his arch-rival and predecessor Didier Ratsiraka out of office.
Most of the international community has recognised Ravalomanana as president, with the notable exception of the recently formed African Union, which has insisted that new elections be held in Madagascar.
On Thursday the AU opened the door to recognition of Madagascar’s new leader, when it offered to work with the authorities in Antananarivo to remove ”obstacles” standing in the way of the country’s recognition by the pan-African organisation.
It did not specify what those obstacles were.
Individual AU member states — Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Libya and the Comoros — have already recognised Ravalomanana. The UN officially acknowledged Ravalomanana’s presidency after the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund held a conference on rebuilding the country in Paris last month.
That conference brought together international donor organisations and countries who hashed out a four-year, $2,3-billion reconstruction programme for Madagascar, economically depleted by the six-month power struggle between Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana. – Sapa-AFP