The Emmo Reg in action: retaliation or authority restoration

The nominee general Richard Ravalomanana’s Emmo Reg forces would have now taken over the Special Intervention Force as the HAT’s official deterring squad number one. On October 18th 2010, the police forces were left on the starting line when demonstrations popped up in Anosy and Ambohijatovo. Colonel Ravalomanana’s retaliation made of propaganda and deterrents came soon after.

« We didn’t have to sweat that much when arresting people on Monday », did he boast in order to cover the initial set back up. The Emmo Reg had to make do with negotiations with opposition leaders from the three political spheres, part of whom Fetison Andrianirina, in order to reach the evacuation of the Place of Democracy, forbidden since the latest year, as a symbol of the ruling dictatorship.

  The single military achievement to be assigned to colonel Richard Ravalomanana and his men on that day was an assault launched against opponents gathered inside Magro Behoririka, as a matter of retaliation against an earlier installed « barricade » by some demonstrators. The Emmo Reg expelled the joint Ravalomanana – Ratsiaraka and Zafy spheres’ militants from the private ruined facilities with tear gazes

Arrest plans

  On the following day, the Emmo Reg promised arrests with made in colonel Ravalomanana accounts : « we are arresting them (demonstrators) for their own good, somehow we are protecting them against popular wrath ». Nice little incitation to intercivilian fightings, or at least an insult to the opposition. The state police colonel’s is hinting that streets are being pissed off by those demonstrators.

The Emmo Reg is flexing muscle to make an example. « everything will be done to arrest these people », warned colonel Richard Ravalomanana. He stated that special units are now deployed in order to prevent further demonstrations. The brave special unit immediately reacted as being announced to the press, by arresting an opposition member

L’Emmo Reg is not only in charge of restoring order, but also became the dictating High Authority’s armed hand. Antananarivo is recovering the face of a besieged city. Foot patrols of soldiers armed with AK47 machine guns and Pick ups filled with light artillery are roaming around to deterre any will to demonstrate. The Place of Democracy,  the Place of May 13th and Behoririka’s Magro square are being watched by armed squads

The Emmo Reg’s deployement is a response to a potential reenactment of Monday’s events. On January 26th, 2009, supporters of that time’s mayor of Antananarivo made for Anosy in order to pressure the court by that time engaged in the trial of students arrested during demonstrations. Andry Rajoelina invited mobs to support them by then. In his speech, he referred to the conquest of the TVM station’s facilities and to the expulsion of the MBS station from its location.  As a result : the national broadcaster’s facilities ruined and set alight by pro TGV mobs, the same for the media group belonging to President Ravalomanana, and series of lootings across the city. That was the Dark Monday.