Mélanie Harris Higgins, new interim chargé d'affaires for the United States. The United States, France, and Russia. These are the three countries whose embassies are headed by interim chargés d'affaires. Three nations whose diplomatic missions in the Great Island are among the largest in size and personnel.

For the United States and Russia, whose ambassadors completed their missions in Madagascar respectively in January and February, their diplomatic representations have been led by chargés d'affaires for several months. Yesterday, the American embassy announced the appointment of its new interim chargé d'affaires, Mélanie Harris Higgins. She replaces the previous chargé d'affaires, Stéphanie Arnold, whose mission ended a few days ago.

For the Russian embassy, Alexeï Buriak has held the title of interim chargé d'affaires since February. So far, there are no signs indicating when the United States and Russia will appoint their new ambassadors to the Great Island. For the former, the Trump administration appears to be taking its time naming new heads to its diplomatic missions in certain African countries, including Madagascar.

For Russia, this absence of an ambassador for several months raises questions given the strong rapprochement between the Kremlin and Antananarivo since the military takeover. Regarding France, the departure of Arnaud Guillois, the previous ambassador, whose mandate in the Great Island recently ended, means that the Ambatomena embassy will be led by a chargé d'affaires pending his successor.

Unlike the Russian or American embassy, the French embassy should not remain without an ambassador for long. Since May, the name of Jean-Marc Grosgurin as the future French ambassador to the Great Island has been published by Francophone and French media. According to reports, the accreditation procedure for the new occupant of the French residence in Ivandry has already been initiated with Malagasy authorities.

Garry Fabrice Ranaivoson