The joint mission of UN and AU envoys concluded yesterday. Beyond coordinating their approach, international organizations involved in accompanying Madagascar's constitutional restoration are also harmonizing their discourse.
A common line. Based on declarations and actions taken last week, international organizations involved in supporting Madagascar's return to constitutional order are now speaking with one voice.
The joint mission of the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU), which ended yesterday, exemplifies this—a first since the power change in October 2025. The delegation was led by Mohamed Idriss Farah, special envoy of the AU Commission president for Madagascar, and Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, special representative of the UN secretary-general to the AU. Both conducted extensive consultations with Madagascar's political actors since July 12.
The UN-AU joint mission left the country without issuing a statement. The press was not invited to any of their meetings with Malagasy actors. According to a Prime Minister's office communiqué reporting their Friday meeting with Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison, their mandate involves accompanying the island nation through its refoundation process.
According to several sources, barring changes, a new joint mission should be organized in August or September. This time, the delegation should be tripartite, with a Southern African Development Community (SADC) team joining the UN and AU delegations.
Initially, the SADC Elders Committee was dispatched to Madagascar for a fact-finding mission. The SADC extraordinary summit of heads of state and government on June 29 subsequently expanded its mandate "to include reconciliation, electoral reform, and preparations for the referendum and legislative elections"—a mission overlapping with the UN-AU joint delegation.
Return to constitutional order
This accompaniment of Madagascar's constitutional restoration is recalled in the communiqué reporting the joint mission's Friday meeting with National Assembly president Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko. "They expressed the wish that the peaceful process leading to elections continue and, especially, Madagascar's return to the African Union family," the communiqué states.
Since the October 13, 2025 power change, Madagascar has been suspended from all AU activities. This suspension was decided by the AU Peace and Security Council on October 15. Following a February 1 meeting with Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, head of state, in Antananarivo, the AU Commission president's special envoy declared that constitutional restoration through presidential elections was the condition for the island's return to the continental organization.
Beyond coordinating their mediation, international organizations involved in Madagascar's case are also harmonizing their positions and discourse. The requirement for constitutional restoration exemplifies this. While this position has been consistent from the AU, supported by the UN, it is also emphasized in the SADC extraordinary summit communiqué.
"The Summit recalled the importance of preserving the rule of law and democratic governance, affirming that reforms are expected to restore constitutional order and lead to the establishment of a democratically elected government respecting the will of the Malagasy people," states the regional organization's June 29 communiqué.
Another convergence point among the three international organizations concerns the inclusive nature of the refoundation process and national consultation.
This inclusivity requirement was emphasized during Friday's meeting between UN and AU envoys with the Prime Minister. SADC executive secretary Elias Magosi also stressed this point in his opening remarks at the 28th ministerial committee meeting of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, held Thursday in Malawi. Comments echoing the extraordinary summit communiqué of the regional organization.
Garry Fabrice Ranaivoson