After attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, President Andry Rajoelina is making new stops, this time on the African continent. He was in Guinea-Bissau at the beginning of the week and landed in Angola on Wednesday, July 31, where he met his counterparts. Behind these rare bilateral visits to the continent, the Malagasy head of state affirms a diplomatic shift, in favor of African partners, initiated during his first term.
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With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Pauline Le Troquier
In a diplomacy that aims to be “all-round”, Andry Rajoelina affirms its attachment to Pan-Africanism. To demonstrate this, the choice of the Guinea-Bissau is no coincidence. In recent years, the Malagasy head of state has received the support of his counterpart Umaro Sissoco Embaló on several key issues.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, he was one of the first heads of state to give credence to Covid-Organics (CVO), an artemisia-based remedy produced in Madagascarpresented as an African alternative to Western vaccines against the coronavirus. Umaro Sissoco Embaló was also one of the first presidents of the continent to congratulate Andry Rajoelina during his contested re-election in November 2023.
The partners are now drawing the outlines of security cooperation. On Tuesday, July 30, a framework agreement was signed that provides for the training of Bissau-Guinean officers in Madagascar at the military academy in Antsirabe. The institution is known for having hosted the icon of Pan-Africanism Thomas Sankara.
Angola as an economic partner
In Angolaeconomic cooperation was on the agenda of the discussions. The two countries have common challenges to overcome around the exploitation of their mineral resources. The aim is to initiate a sharing of experience in this area.
Madagascar, long diplomatically isolated from the continent, intends to ” building win-win cooperation in the South ” Patrick Rajoelina, the president’s special advisor in charge of diplomacy, told RFI.
In the name of a ” non-exclusive diplomacy ” adds this source, the country also intends to nurture its good relations with traditional partners. However, links with the latter are based on a fragile balance. Relations between Madagascar and the European Union have become significantly strained since the recall of its ambassador to the country.
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