SADC Reviews Madagascar’s Political Crisis as Ramaphosa Calls for Regional Stability

President Ramaphosa explained that Madagascar’s political situation deteriorated rapidly in September 2025, prompting SADC to intervene.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is carefully assessing the political and security situation in Madagascar following months of instability that culminated in the formation of a transitional government in September 2025. He addressed regional leaders during a virtual Extraordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government convened on Wednesday to consider a detailed report submitted by the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

Opening the summit, President Ramaphosa thanked regional leaders for responding to his invitation, noting that the meeting followed earlier urgent consultations aimed at strengthening SADC’s institutional cohesion. “As you will recall, we convened a similar session during the past month to attend to an urgent issue pertaining to the leadership of our organisation,” he reminded participants, underscoring the challenging regional environment.

President Ramaphosa explained that Madagascar’s political situation deteriorated rapidly in September 2025, prompting SADC to intervene. In response to the unrest and the establishment of a transitional administration, the SADC Organ Troika convened an Extraordinary Summit on 16 October 2025 to assess the crisis. That summit mandated the urgent deployment of a Technical Fact-Finding Mission to Madagascar to evaluate political tensions, security concerns, institutional stability and the status of democratic processes.

“The outcome of this mission is contained in the report we will be considering today,” President Ramaphosa said, emphasising that the findings will guide the next phase of SADC’s diplomatic and stabilisation efforts.

Reflecting on the broader regional context, the President said the crisis highlighted the need to accelerate implementation of SADC Vision 2050, which envisions “a region whose peoples live in peace and harmony and can realise their economic potential.” He affirmed that political stability, economic development and security cooperation must continue to move in parallel.

President Ramaphosa reaffirmed SADC’s commitment to peace and democracy through the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, which promotes regional peace, democratic governance, electoral integrity and solidarity among member states. He highlighted progress made in recent years in strengthening democratic institutions and expanding a culture of human rights across southern Africa.

However, he cautioned that the region continues to face persistent political and security hotspots. “The situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo remains of grave concern. We also stand in solidarity with the government and the people of Mozambique in their quest for stability and security in the Cabo Delgado province,” he said.

Turning to Madagascar’s historical context, President Ramaphosa recalled that the country has long faced cycles of political instability, including the 2009 crisis during which SADC played a pivotal role in guiding the island nation toward constitutional order and national reconciliation. While democratic gains have been made since then, the President stressed that recent developments show “much more work needs to be done to foster sustainable peace.”

He emphasised that the aspirations of the Malagasy people must remain at the heart of SADC’s efforts. “Like all peoples in our region and our continent, the people of Madagascar yearn for durable peace and development. We have a collective responsibility to make this a reality,” he said.

As SADC deliberates the fact-finding mission report, member states are expected to chart a coordinated course of action aimed at supporting political stability, safeguarding democratic institutions and assisting Madagascar in returning to a sustainable path of peace and development.