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Madagascar's strongman leader Andry Rajoelina (C) arrives for a dinner at the Presidential guest house in Pretoria during political talks on Madagascar on April 28, 2010. (Stepane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images)
The current and former leaders of Madagascar—a country rocked by coups and mutinies in recent years—will meet in the Seychelles to relieve tensions.
President Andry Rajoelina, who ousted former President and main rival Marc Ravalomanana in a coup in 2009, will meet with Ravalomanana on Tuesday.
The 15-nation Southern African Development Community is mediating the political crisis and told the two that an election date needs to be set within a few days, AFP reported.
The meeting comes just two days after the Madagascar army crushed a mutiny near the capital of Antananarivo’s airport. Several people were killed and the leader of the mutiny was killed.
“I will speak sincerely, and I am ready to resolve the crisis and to face the Seychelles meeting, even if there has been disruptive behavior to create problems within the country,” Rajoelina said, according to Al Jazeera before he left for the Seychelles.
Rajoelina, a former disc jockey who was 34 when he took power, led violent street protests three years ago and took power with the aid of army officers.
“What we should know is that the divisions, disruptions and everything that is designed to overthrow the government, it’s not the first time that this has happened,” he added.
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