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20 May 2009 African Union chairman Muammar
Gaddafi held talks with Madagascar's President Andry
Rajoelina, but reports of the meeting in Libyan state
media suggested the AU still refused to recognise him
as the island's head of state.
"Rajoelina briefed the leader on the developments of
the situation in Madagascar and insisted that he came
to Libya especially to take advice from the leader,"
Libyan news agency Jana quoted Rajoelina as saying
after meeting the Libyan leader Gaddafi late on
Sunday.
"Rajoelina called on the (Libyan) leader to pursue his
initiatives towards restoring stability in Madagascar
and to hold elections there because he enjoys respect
across Africa," Jana said.
Libyan state media referred to Rajoelina only as "Andry
Rajoelina" or the man who "declared himself the head
of the High Transitional Presidency", suggesting the
AU chairman was sticking to the group's refusal to
recognise him as president.
The three-hour meeting with Kadhafi in Tripoli was
Rajoelina's first trip outside the Indian Ocean island
since, with army backing, he toppled the elected
president Marc Ravalomanana on March 17.
Donors suspend
Several donors including the International Monetary
Fund have suspended non-emergency aid to Madagascar.
Foreign leaders have called for quick elections to
stop months of political instability.
Kadhafi is currently the chairman of the African
Union, which suspended Madagascar following
Rajoelina's takeover.
The 53-member body suspended the Indian Ocean Island
in March after Rajoelina took over from the elected
leader with the help of renegade soldiers, calling his
seizure of power "a coup."
His seizure of power drew angry reactions from the
United Nations Security Council, and Madagascar was
also suspended from the Southern African Development
Community and the International Organisation of
Francophonie, grouping French-speaking nations.
An international team of mediators is in Madagascar to
try to push through a transitional deal with the four
main political groups on Africa's largest island.
But Ravalomanana, in exile in South Africa, insists he
is still the African island nation's only legitimate
leader.
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