South Africa's mediator in Madagascar, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Marius Fransman, has labelled the Madagascan government "irresponsible" for its continued calls for the arrest of the island's ousted president, Marc Ravalomanana.
Fransman said calling for Ravalomanana's arrest when there were amnesty and reconciliation processes under way was totally irresponsible.
"The leaders must act responsibly to pave the way to free, fair and democratic elections," he said.
The Madagascan government - led by Andry Rajoelina, who toppled Ravalomanana in a 2009 coup - closed the country's airspace shortly before a plane carrying Ravolomanana was to land in the Indian Ocean Island's capital of Antananarivo on Saturday.
The aircraft, also carrying ordinary passengers, was forced to return to OR Tambo International. Rajoelina reportedly issued a statement afterwards saying a special jet would be dispatched to Johannesburg to bring Ravolomanana home so he could be brought to justice.
Fransman was speaking in Pretoria yesterday after an SADC meeting to prepare for Ravalomanana's return to his country.
The deputy minister said the unconditional return of all exiled Malagasies was part of agreements contained in a road map to the country's transition to democracy signed by 10 parties in Madagascar in September, but the warrant for Ravalomanana's arrest remained a bone of contention.
"The current leaders do not have a problem with him returning home, but they have a problem with how do they deal with the issue of the warrant for his arrest. Rajoelina has asked us [the mediators] to get human rights and international law experts to help them deal with this issue," he said.
After his ousting, Ravalomanana was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder relating
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