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.
________________

VOLATILE CLIMATE, POLITICS LEAVE ACCESS TO FOOD PRECARIOUS IN MADAGASCAR – UN

Access to food for the people of Madagascar remains unreliable because of the impact of natural disasters, which routinely strike the island State, and continuing political tensions, a United Nations report warned today.

The joint Food and Agricultural Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO) and World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) mission tasked with assessing crop and food security in Madagascar underscored the effect a run of cyclones on the east coast in 2008-2009 and several years of drought in the south has had on the country's crops.

In addition, the political crisis – involving the resignation of President Marc Ravalomanana in early March, amid a dispute with the mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, who now leads the country – combined with the global economic recession has had repercussions for public finances, exports, tourism, unemployment and the national currency, and a knock-on effect on the agricultural sector, according to the FAO-WFP report.

The report noted that food production varies widely across the Indian Ocean nation with good rainfall benefiting the 2008-2009 harvest in the centre, north and west of the country, as well as favouring rice-growing areas with an estimated 8 per cent increase in paddy production to over 4 million tons of rice.

However, the drought devastated the south, home to some of the country's poorest communities, has caused national maize, sweet potato and cassava production to slump.

The production of maize in the province of Taliara in the south, which contributes 30 per cent of the national total, is expected to halve next year, and its sweet potato harvest, around 20 per cent of the national total, will slump by around 20 per cent, according to the report. In addition, cassava production in the area will fall by 15 per cent.

The report stressed that the amount of cereal required by the country, including cassava and sweet potato, will exceed total cereals availability by about 206,000 tons. Although commercial wheat and rice imports would normally cover the shortfall, a Government announcement of its intention to import 150,000 tons of rice to be sold at moderate prices could unsettle free-market trade.

Commercial interests are likely to "wait-and-see" how market prices react to Government imports, which could lead to delays or breakdowns in stocks, causing a price explosion during the lean season – beginning in September-October – reminiscent of the timing of events that led to the 2004-2005 food crisis.

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.
________________

UN BACKS DIALOGUE AS ONLY MEANS TO STABILIZE MADAGASCAR

The United Nations today reiterated its belief that inclusive talks are the only means to bring about a smooth transition in Madagascar, which saw the resignation of President Marc Ravalomanana earlier this month.

Tensions have risen in the country in recent months, claiming some 100 lives and injuring many others since January, amid a dispute between Mr. Ravalomanana and the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, who now leads the country.

"The United Nations continues to believe that stability, prosperity and democratic freedoms can be ensured only through a consensual and inclusive dialogue process that would address the root causes of the crisis and would be accepted by all parties," UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today.

Tiébilé Dramé, the world body's senior adviser to the African island nation, was in New York this week for consultations and will be returning to Madagascar shortly.

"We will remain engaged through Mr. Dramé to help achieve a peaceful, consensual solution in Madagascar," Ms. Montas said. "The United Nations is ready to work with the Malagasy parties as well as regional and international partners to reach this goal."

Last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that a "peaceful path" to stability in Madagascar "can only be the result of transitional arrangements arrived at by consensus and enjoying wide support."

Further, he called on "all parties concerned to act responsibly to ensure stability and a smooth transition through democratic means," urging all concerned, particularly the police and the army, to "ensure the security of the population and work together toward a non-violent resolution of the crisis."
________________

BAN URGES MADAGASCAR PARTIES TO ACT RESPONSIBLY FOLLOWING PRESIDENT’S RESIGNATION

BAN URGES MADAGASCAR PARTIES TO ACT RESPONSIBLY FOLLOWING PRESIDENT'S RESIGNATION
New York, Mar 17 2009 3:00PM

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged all parties in Madagascar to ensure stability and a smooth democratic transition following the resignation of President Marc Ravalomanana.

"This peaceful path can only be the result of transitional arrangements arrived at by consensus and enjoying wide support," his spokesperson said in a statement.

The statement added that Mr. Ban is "gravely concerned" about the evolving developments in Madagascar, where tensions have been growing in recent months amid a dispute between the President and Andry Rajoelina, the mayor of the capital, Anatananarivo.

Violence surrounding the dispute led to nearly 100 deaths and many more injuries since January.

"He urges all parties concerned to act responsibly to ensure stability and a smooth transition through democratic means," the statement said.

"The Secretary-General calls on all concerned, particularly the police and the army, to ensure the security of the population and work together toward a non-violent resolution of the crisis," it added.

The UN has been trying to help resolve the crisis through the efforts of Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios, who has been dispatched to the Indian Ocean island nation twice, as well as UN Senior Adviser Tiébilé Dramé.

Today's statement noted that the UN, along with all other partners, remains engaged to help achieve a peaceful, consensual solution in Madagascar.
________________