Mutiny over in Ivato. Lt Colonel Charles surrendered without fighting

The capture of the BANI base camp was not exactly a real assault. The rebelling officers, a couple of whom having contributed to Rajoelina`s rise to power, did not oppose any resistance. Lt Colonel Charles Andrianasoavina was surprisingly the first one to surrender. The others did not emulate immediately, and displayed a certain will to keep on fighting by shooting. But nobody fell.

A couple hours of simulated battle later, fifteen officers surrender to the HAT, fifteen under officers were arrested, some others are still on the run, without their weapons left behind however. The HAT`s special intervention force stood on the fore front led by Lt colonel Lylson. He would have rejected any further round of talks and started the operation.

The HAT´s private legion

Beside the FIS forces, 75 troopers from the presidential guard took part into the operation, together with state police´s elite troops and soldiers from…the CAPSAT base camp. In this Saturday evening`s war game, the state polite provided the largest number of actors.

After the end of the operation, the HAT army swiftly evacuated the area without occupying the base camp. The arrested people were driven to various places. According to freshly collected information, the general Raoelina, equally condemned in the run of the February 7th case, and the colonel Coutiti, pardoned by Rajoelina after the completion of the year 2009´s putsch were both taken to the penitentiary of Tsiafahy.

Andry Rajoelina gathered in Ambohitsorohitra all of the army´s officers on Saturday morning, but nothing leaked from the meeting´s outcome. His general chief of staff strained to settle the crisis through negotiations. His former defense minister, general Noel Rakotonandrasana was keeping on insisting on the installation of the Military Committee, and consequently sealed the deadlock. The HAT´s army finally acted to master this rebellion against the new regime. End of story.