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Madagascan troops lock horns
13/06/2002 12:12 - (SA)
Antananarivo - Troops loyal to President Marc Ravalomanana were on Thursday blocked from launching an offensive in northern Madagascar by forces loyal to long-time ruler Didier Ratsiraka.
A commander and a small group of advance soldiers targeting the key northwestern port of Mahajanga were reportedly surrounded by forces loyal to Ratsiraka on Nosy Be, an island off the northwestern tip of Madagascar, military sources said.
On Wednesday, Ravalomanana's central military command reported that the general and his men had been "at best surrounded, at worst captured".
On Thursday, a pro-Ravalomanana officer said: "The situation is still unclear: They were able to break through the cordon of troops surrounding them and have gone to ground, and we are going to try to get them out of there today."
Ravalomanana's troops on Wednesday lifted a key roadblock on the main road linking the highland capital Antananarivo and Mahajanga port, military and foreign sources said.
The army removed the blockade on the Betsiboka River bridge, set up nearly three months ago by backers of Ratsiraka to cut off the flow of vital supplies to Ravalomanana's stronghold in
Antananarivo.
According to a member of Ravalomanana's general staff, the
bridge was taken without fighting.
"We now have to de-mine and secure the bridge ... before we go
about securing the road to Mahajanga," an officer said on Thursday. - Sapa-AFP
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