Madagascar's Ravalomanana Sends Troops to Rival Controlled Area

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, June 05, 2002

Madagascar's Ravalomanana Sends Troops to Rival Controlled Area

President of Madagascar Marc Ravalomanana on Tuesday sent troops to the areas of the Indian Ocean island country controlled by former president Didier Ratsiraka, local media reported.

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President of Madagascar Marc Ravalomanana on Tuesday sent troops to the areas of the Indian Ocean island country controlled by former president Didier Ratsiraka, local media reported.

The troops were sent to Sambava and Mahajanga, the region seen as the weak links under Ratsiraka's control, to force the enemy tosplit its forces and weaken their strongholds, said a senior official close to Ravalomanana.

It was reported that at least two people were killed in fighting on Monday in northern Madagascar between forces of the two pretenders to the presidency.

The Organization of African Unity (OAU) has called for a special summit to deal with crisis in the country.

The OAU, which made no mention of a date or venue for a specialsummit, reiterated its support for an accord signed in Dakar in April between Ravalomanana and Ratsiraka, but never implemented.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, OAU Secretary-General Amara Essy, President Omar Bongo of Gabon and French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin were due to meet in Libreville to discuss the crisis.

Self-made millionaire tycoon Ravalomanana, sworn in as president by his supporters on May 6, controls the capital Tananarive, and one province in the southeast.

But four other provinces remain in the hands of long-time rulerRatsiraka, who has refused to accept the December election results.

The Dakar agreement had provided an appropriate framework to settle the crisis, the communique said, calling on both sides to apply maximum restraint and avoid actions that could aggravate thesituation.

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