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ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - International efforts to resolve a year-long political crisis in Madagascar must be redoubled to stop the Indian Ocean island from sliding deeper into turmoil, the African Union (AU) said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the opening of an international contact group meeting in Ethiopia, AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping called for the resumption of talks between Madagascar's feuding politicians over the formation of a power-sharing administration.

The AU's insistence on a consensus solution places it at odds with Madagascar's leader, Andry Rajoelina, who has urged foreign mediators in recent weeks to stop meddling in the country's affairs.

"They (earlier power-sharing deals) are the fruits of consensus and are the only political and judicial basis from which to break the deadlock and end this crisis," Ping told the meeting in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

In Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, armed police fired teargas to stop an opposition march on a presidential palace in the city centre.

"We left... to accompany our (opposition) leaders to the palace to hand over a letter to Rajoelina asking whether he still stood for reconciliation," opposition supporter Dominique Randrianasolo told Reuters. "But the forces of repression fired teargas at us to stop us."

Rajoelina, 35, tore up a series of internationally-brokered agreements shortly before Christmas and appointed a senior military officer as prime minister to govern the country, which is increasingly eyed by foreigners for its oil and minerals.

Government spokesman Augustin Andriamananoro quickly rejected taking up negotiations again with former presidents Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy.