Crisis in Ivato: negotiations on the front stage, siege in the back stage

November 19th 2010, 10:30 am, the general chief of staff joined Ivato´s airbase in which officers and generals from whom Novenber 17th´s breaking news announcement emerged, have entrenched. General Ndriarijaona underlined that the rebels were not that so numerous while refraining from unveiling their number.

Later in the evening, the general chief of staff unveiled however his proposals, potentially ruling out an assault: “shoot outs and bloodbaths are no good solution. I believe that talks are the single one alternative in order to settle the army´s internal issue. I am consequently calling upon my brothers in arms to keep on remaining opened to talks”.

General Ndriarijaona and the army´s various other officials, among whom the HAT prime minister, are jointly agreeing that the issue is exclusively concerning the army. Politicians who called upon the uprising are being blamed, though being not named: “No action, neither the opened nor the hidden ones, aiming at dividing the army and leading to clashes is to be tolerated”.

“We don´t intend to launch any assault”

The HAT defense minister has no reason to be as patient as the general chief of state: “Negotiations have been going on for a couple of days, still without progress”. General Rakotoarimasy subsequently emphasized that the HAT state was still effective in the country: “we are acting so to deny them any opportunity to move out of from the base camp”. The defense minister strained to look down on this uprising´s echo by arguing that “the Malagasy army has 25000 men. They are merely 30”.

The HAT prime minister expressed no doubts about his ability to keep the situation under control. “There are no troubles, we are settling the issue, it will soon be over”. General Camille Vital holds it as a military internal issue in which civilians do not need to take a stand. “We are not intending to launch any assault” he said, while referring to his defense minister and his state police commander. “we are engaging talks in order to settle the issue”.

State police privates took up position across Ivato. The surrounding people feared an incoming assault to be launched against the entrenched militaries. The defense minister´s broadcasted call upon people to evacuate the area surrounding the besieged camp did not help to lower tensions. A crowd spontaneously gathered to watch a potential spectacle, but quickly dispersed due to tear gaz grenades