By RFPosted on 12-12-2019Modified 12-12-2019 at 07:03

After two days of reflection involving nearly 1,200 people from all over the island yesterday, the Malagasy Prime Minister, Christian Ntsay, proposed a restitution of the various resolutions. These ideas should serve as a basis for negotiations with France in the context of the request for retrocession of four islands in the Indian Ocean, claimed since 1976 by Madagascar.

" My fellow countrymen Malagasy, it is time to claim our rights on these islands and we will achieve it. For this we need strategy and an efficient organization . This strategy, precisely, president Andry Rajoelina hopes to refine it thanks to the ideas emitted by the participants of this national consultation .

Claiming the " right to go fishing "

Princes of small kingdoms on the west coast of the island had made the move. In the Commission "Blue Economy and Livelihoods", they were able to express themselves on a very particular subject, as reported by their representative, the head of the federation of the traditional kings of Madagascar, Prince Ndriana Rabarioelina: " The princes have claimed the right to go fishing around the Scattered Islands. There are sailors sakalavas and vezos who went fishing to Juan De Nova. They met French soldiers and then disappeared. So we appeal to the French state to ask "where did our fishermen go?" and we ask him to let them live and fish in the waters around Madagascar . "

Gervais Randrianalison, selected to represent his region, Alaotra Mangoro, has made two proposals in the commission "sovereignty" which one was retained: " The first is that one inscribes these islands Éparses, of Malagasy Islands, in our Constitution. Second is that Madagascar withdraws from the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) to challenge the remarks made by President Emmanuel Macron on the fact that these islands are French. "

Registration in the Constitution

It is the Prime Minister Christian Ntsay who then restituted the various proposals: inscription of these islands in the Constitution, integration in the cartography of Madagascar as well as in the school programs. Or again, " in our diplomatic relations, the participants thought that we should give priority to all those who respect the sovereignty of our State. "

It remains to be seen how the government will use the resolutions of this national consultation in the context of open negotiations with France on the future of the Scattered Islands. For the guest of honor at this forum on "Nosy Malagasy", Didier Ratsiraka (former President of Madagascar from 1975 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2002), one of the pioneers in the process of restitution of the islands, " Madagascar will arrive at its ends .

For the population, daily concerns

" How long has China demanded the return of Honk Kong to the motherland? How long ? They arrived there. So why not us , he says again. We all joined together to support the Barea, our national football team. Why would we not do it for something as important as national sovereignty? "

If this national consultation has put a real spotlight on these islands and the dispute between the Malagasy State and the French state, it remains the case that for the vast majority of the population, the concerns of the daily remain well away from the future of these islands.

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