The Heads of State and Government of the SADC will hold an extraordinary virtual summit today. Madagascar's political and security situation will be on the agenda of this impromptu meeting.

Today at 5 p.m. Botswana time, or 6 p.m. Madagascar time, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has announced an extraordinary Summit by videoconference of its Heads of State and Government.

The announcement was made through a communiqué from the regional organization published yesterday. "Leaders will examine the political and security situation in Madagascar, based on the report of the Organ of Political, Defence and Security Cooperation," the statement reads. This will be the second extraordinary summit dedicated to Madagascar's case since the military takeover in October 2025.

The Organ of Political, Defence and Security Cooperation "is mandated to lay the foundations for peace and stability in the SADC region." The report to be presented during today's extraordinary summit stems from the third evaluation mission conducted by the SADC Elders Committee delegation in Madagascar in early May.

When the military took power on October 14, 2025, the deployment of this Committee, led by Joyce Banda, former president of Malawi, was decided to conduct a fact-finding mission in the island nation. Subsequently, at the first extraordinary summit, also by videoconference on December 17, SADC Heads of State and Government asked Madagascar's authorities "to submit a report on the state of readiness for dialogue and a draft national roadmap by February 28, 2026."

The document titled "Programme for the Refoundation of the Republic" was thus submitted to the delegation led by the former Malawi president on the set date. It outlines the timeline for various stages from national consultation to elections, including plans for legal and structural reforms, a referendum or constitutional election between May and June 2027, and presidential elections between September and December 2027.

New Parameters

Since February 28, the SADC Elders Committee mission in Madagascar has clearly evolved. Beyond monitoring the country's political and security situation, the Committee is also supporting the Refoundation programme. This was precisely the focus of the Committee's third evaluation mission in May. The question of financing the implementation of the document submitted on February 28 was on the agenda during this third evaluation.

Today's impromptu summit will be chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa. Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, Head of State, met with him in January to advocate for the island nation's cause. However, the situation has evolved since then. Since June 3, the occupant of Iavoloha has granted full authority over the national consultation process to the Ecumenical Council of Christian Churches of Madagascar (FFKM).

The Churches have thus prepared a new calendar for this purpose. The summary schedule published by the FFKM on June 21 outlines a three-phase process. The first phase, which began this month and will continue through July, includes logistical preparations and training for those who will lead the debates. The second phase, running from August this year through March 2027, covers the actual consultation process without further specification.

The third phase of the Churches' calendar begins in April without a specific deadline. The FFKM includes the establishment of an entity responsible for monitoring "the implementation of the Refoundation before elections." While the Refoundation Programme sets the objective of holding the presidential election before the end of 2027, the FFKM calendar is silent on this point. It is likely these new parameters will be at the center of discussions during today's SADC extraordinary summit.

For the SADC and other international entities, including the African Union, the main objective is for the presidential election to be held within the two-year timeframe set by the State. It is likely that members of the regional organization wish to be reassured on this point. As the supreme body of the SADC, today's summit of Heads of State and Government should be decisive on the organization's position regarding Madagascar's case.