Ravalomanana refuses to attend fresh talks

Hopes of ending Madagascar's drawn out political crisis were dashed on Friday as President Marc Ravalomanana refused to attend renewed talks in Ethiopia. Former president, Didier Ratsiraka, had arrived in Addis Ababa for a special African summit to discuss an Organisation of African Unity (OAU) plan, put forward on 9 June, to diffuse the political imbroglio that has riven the Indian Ocean island. The plan envisages a transitional government with an equal number of representatives from both the Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana camps to lead the country to early general elections. However, analysts were sceptical about whether anything concrete would emerge from the talks without Ravalomanana in attendance. Political analyst at the University of Madagascar, Didier Ramakavelo, told IRIN: "Negotiation is about two parties. Ravalomanana has gained significant ground over Ratsiraka and probably feels there is no need to attend the talks. His [Ratsiraka's] decision to flee to France last week, at such a critical time, didn't help him at all." Local media in the country suggested that the latest breakdown in relations between the two camps meant that Ratsiraka's time was over. Ravalomanana on Thursday accused his rival of involvement in the alleged attempt to send French mercenaries to Madagascar to try to destabilise the new government. The newly inaugurated president also withdrew an offer of amnesty for Ratsiraka saying that, should he return, the veteran leader would be prosecuted for trying to seek weapons and allies abroad. The latest talks under the aegis of the OAU came as half of the Madagascan capital, Antananarivo, was without power after three electricity pylons were blown up, local newspaper, L'Express reported. A spokesman for Ravalomanana's government told L'Express: "It is clearly Ratsiraka's camp that is blowing up pylons, just as it blew up bridges to cut off the capital." Meanwhile, Amnesty International (AI) on Friday said both leaders must address ongoing human rights abuses in any political settlement. The human rights organisation said: "The leaders of Madagascar and the international community must condemn the ongoing human rights violations and take a firm stance on holding those responsible to account." AI warned of reprisal attacks should human rights violations go unaddressed. "Unless human rights violations are addressed, people will want to take revenge and more abuses will follow. The people of Madagascar should be given assurances that the gravest abuses will be independently investigated, that those responsible will be brought to justice and that impunity will not be part of a future political settlement," the statement said. AI added: "Eight mutilated bodies, including six pro-Ravalomanana soldiers and two civilians, were found on the island of Nosy-Be in the province of Antsiranana, where fighting between both sides is raging. "In Tamatave, Ratsiraka's stronghold, there have been allegations that militias loyal to the local governor, have been searching houses for suspected Ravalomanana supporters. Leaflets have been distributed which threaten Ravalomanana supporters and persons of Merina ethnicity with arrest unless they leave town." The political crisis broke out six months ago, after presidential elections which both men claimed to have won until Ravalomanana was formally declared the winner and appointed a government.