ANTANANARIVO — Madagascar's strongman Andry Rajoelina rejected Thursday an African Union invitation for talks in Addis Ababa next week to end a standoff among the country's four main political factions.
Rajoelina will "not go to the Ethiopian capital," a statement from the presidency said.
The other three rival parties, all former leaders of the vast Indian Ocean island nation, said they were ready to go.
Mediators, including representatives from the European Union (EU) and the UN, are trying to get Rajoelina and three rival political leaders to implement a power-sharing deal.
The African Union (AU) has given Rajoelina until March 16 to implement the deal or face sanctions.
Rajoelina has instead proposed to organise elections as soon as possible, a move dismissed as "unilateral" by the Malagasy opposition.
Madagascar was plunged into turmoil in March 2009 when former disc jockey Rajoelina seized power from then-president Marc Ravalomanana with the backing of the military.
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