BAN WELCOMES AGREEMENT TO RESOLVE POLITICAL CRISIS IN MADAGASCAR

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the power-sharing agreement reached in Madagascar and urged all sides to work together to ensure that a new government of national unity is quickly installed and a process leading to credible elections can be established.

Mr. Ban "congratulates the four leaders – Andry Rajoelina, Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy – for committing to a peaceful transition under a government of national unity," according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.

The statement follows the deal reached yesterday during talks in Maputo, Mozambique, that were mediated by that country's former president Joaquim Chissano and a joint team comprising the United Nations, the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Organization of the Francophonie.

Mr. Ban urged the leaders in the Indian Ocean country to agree quickly on the composition of the government of national unity "and on the establishment of the institutions of the transition leading to credible elections and the restoration of democracy and the rule of law."

The Secretary-General thanked Mr. Chissano and the other mediators for their efforts and joined them in calling on "all political actors in Madagascar to build on the Maputo consensus and to work for the prompt implementation of the agreements."

Since the start of the year Madagascar has been engulfed by political tensions, which have led to widespread violence and killings and numerous politically motivated arrests.

Mr. Ravalomanana resigned as president in early March amid a dispute with Mr. Rajoelina, the mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, and now the leader of the country.
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MADAGASCAR: UN TAKES PART IN NEW TALKS AIMED AT ENDING POLITICAL CRISIS

A senior United Nations official is participating today in fresh talks aimed at peacefully resolving the ongoing political crisis in the Indian Ocean nation of Madagascar.

Tiébilé Dramé, the senior UN political adviser on Madagascar, is part of an international mediation team that is brokering the talks in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, a UN spokesperson told journalists today.

Following weeks of unrest in Madagascar near the start of this year, President Marc Ravalomanana resigned in early March, amid a dispute with the mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, who now leads the country.

The crisis led to numerous politically motivated arrests, widespread violence and killings, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged all sides to resume dialogue in a bid to end their differences.

Today's mediation efforts in Maputo are being chaired by former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and they also include envoys from the African Union and La Francophonie.
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Zimbabwe: Reform Justice System

(Johannesburg) - Zimbabwe's new inclusive government should carry out comprehensive justice reforms without delay to ensure accountability for past abuses, Human Rights Watch said today. The organization noted that the one-year anniversary is approaching for the controversial elections, on March 29, 2008, that ultimately resulted in the new government.

On March 30, leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) are to meet to consider an economic recovery aid package for Zimbabwe. Human Rights Watch called on SADC members to take the opportunity to press Zimbabwe's government to demonstrate its commitment to human rights reforms before SADC releases non-humanitarian development aid.

"The government of Zimbabwe should take clear action toward restoring the rule of law and respect for human rights before the international community releases longer-term development aid," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "There is no excuse for further delay."

In the aftermath of the general elections, President Robert Mugabe's ruling party, Zimbabwe National African Union (ZANU-PF), carried out a campaign of violence against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in which almost 200 MDC activists were killed, some 5,000 were tortured, and more than 10,000 required medical treatment for injuries.

Since signing a power-sharing agreement on September 15, Zimbabwe's leaders have not demonstrated the political will to carry out necessary human rights reforms and restore the rule of law in Zimbabwe.

Not one perpetrator of the abuses - whether police, military, war veteran or ZANU-PF official - has been held to account. The authorities have not provided victims of abuses with effective remedies, as required by international law, including judicial redress and other forms of reparation.

"Zimbabwe's political situation remains precarious, but unless the new power-sharing government promptly brings perpetrators of abuses to account and makes clear that no further abuses will be tolerated, the country risks sliding back to possibly even greater political turmoil," said Gagnon.

Human Rights Watch urged SADC leaders to press the Zimbabwe authorities to set a specific timeline for tangible progress on key human rights reforms. Actions that can be undertaken immediately and that will help demonstrate commitment to justice and human rights include:

• Release the photojournalist Shadrek Andreson Manyere; Chris Dhlamini, the MDC security chief; Ghandi Mudzingwa, former aide to MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai; and the remaining three political detainees;
• Disclose the whereabouts of seven other "disappeared" persons whose whereabouts to date remain unknown: Gwenzi Kahiya, Ephraim Mabeka, Lovemore Machokoto, Charles Muza, Edmore Vangirayi, Graham Matehwa, and Peter Munyanyi;
• Investigate political violence and human rights abuses that followed the 2008 elections and prosecute perpetrators of those abuses;
• Ensure access to appropriate judicial remedies to victims of abuses and respect victims' rights to truth, justice, and reparation;
• Reform media laws to ensure media freedom and access to Zimbabwe for local and foreign journalists and media organizations;
• Consult with a broad section of the population on how to reorganize the criminal justice system to meet internationally recognized human rights standards.

Human Rights Watch also urged the transitional government of national unity in Zimbabwe to create the necessary conditions to hold internationally recognized free and fair elections within 24 months.

"SADC leaders should ensure that Zimbabwe has taken concrete and verifiable steps on justice and accountability reforms before they adopt an economic recovery aid package for the country," Gagnon said. "Human rights reform and rule of law are essential for economic recovery and restoration of investor confidence."