By McGeorge Mbare
HEADS of State and Government representatives of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) convened a virtual summit on December 17, 2025, to discuss the restoration of political stability and security in Madagascar.
The meeting was attended by several regional leaders, including South Africa’s President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, Botswana’s President Duma Boko, Democratic Republic of Congo President Tshisekedi Tshilombo, and Zimbabwe’s representative, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Professor Amon Murwira, among others.
In a statement, the SADC Secretariat said the summit received a report from a technical fact-finding mission that assessed Madagascar’s political and security situation through consultations with a wide range of stakeholders.
“Summit received a report from the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, H.E. Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi, on the technical fact-finding mission to Madagascar conducted from 19 to 26 October, which assessed the political and security situation through consultations with diverse stakeholders,” the statement said.
The Secretariat said, the summit welcomed the restoration of calm in Madagascar, noted the national consultation processes launched by the Transitional Government on December 10, 2025, and reaffirmed SADC’s commitment to remain engaged with the country’s political and security situation until an elected government is established through an electoral process.
The summit also approved the deployment of the SADC Panel of Elders by March 2026.
The panel will be led by former Malawian president Joyce Banda, together with reference groups supported by the Secretariat, to facilitate and support ongoing efforts to restore political stability, democracy, and peace in Madagascar.
In addition, the Panel of Elders was directed to engage former Mozambican president and SADC Special Envoy to Madagascar, Joaquim Chissano, to provide contextual background on previous interventions and outstanding issues, with a focus on constitutional reforms, electoral processes, and the rule of law, in line with the SADC Treaty.