SADC seeks support for Madagascar’s candidate ahead of AUC elections » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has written to all its 16 member states seeking support for Madagascar’s candidate in the race for the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson post ahead of elections set for Saturday.

In a statement dated February 12 addressed to its member states, SADC’s Executive Secretary, Elias Magosi, confirmed Madagascar’s formal request for regional support, emphasizing that Richard Randriamandrato remains the only candidate from the bloc.

 “We have since learnt that Mauritius has withdrawn its candidature, leaving Madagascar as the only member state from the SADC region to compete for the position,” said Magosi.

Magosi said given the limited time before the election, there was no need to convene an Extraordinary Council of Ministers to deliberate on Madagascar’s request, instead, the secretariat’s letter seeking regional backing would suffice.

SADC’s 16 member countries include Angola, Botswana, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The SADC decision to endorse Randriamandrato could introduce a fresh twist to the race, potentially shifting the election’s dynamics and making it more competitive.

Randriamandrato will face off against Kenya’s Raila Odinga and Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, in Saturday’s election in Addis Ababa.

This last-minute move could significantly impact Kenya’s candidate, Raila Odinga, who had been counting on support from SADC nations to strengthen his chances against his two main rivals in the high-stakes election.

Meanwhile the Heads of State had begun arriving in Ethiopia on Thursday ahead of the African Union’s 38th Ordinary Summit.

The presidents will use the summit to elect the next AUC Chairperson and deputy chairperson in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive elections in AU history.