Fresh clashes in Madagascar
Antananarivo / april 27th 2009
Fresh clashes have broken out in the strife- torn Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, following last month's seizure of power by former Antananarivo mayor Andry Rajoelina, media reports said on Monday.
After a military crackdown on protestors last week left seven demonstrators dead, a military personnel carrier was blown up on Sunday by Molotov cocktails.
This triggered explosions at the ammunitions store at the barracks outside the capital Antananarivo, which injured one soldier.
In the ensuing panic soldiers fired at random.
The violence is the latest incident in a months-long power struggle, in which Rajoelina with the help of the military ousted president Marc Ravalomanana in a transfer of power last month.
Ravalomanana went into exile after seven weeks of opposition protests over his increasingly authoritarian style and controversial spending
The protests left at least 100 dead.
Rajoelina, 34, was entrusted with power by the military but the international community refuses to recognise his leadership, saying the manner of his arrival to power was tantamount to a coup.
Fresh clashes have broken out in the strife- torn Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, following last month's seizure of power by former Antananarivo mayor Andry Rajoelina, media reports said on Monday.
After a military crackdown on protestors last week left seven demonstrators dead, a military personnel carrier was blown up on Sunday by Molotov cocktails.
This triggered explosions at the ammunitions store at the barracks outside the capital Antananarivo, which injured one soldier.
In the ensuing panic soldiers fired at random.
The violence is the latest incident in a months-long power struggle, in which Rajoelina with the help of the military ousted president Marc Ravalomanana in a transfer of power last month.
Ravalomanana went into exile after seven weeks of opposition protests over his increasingly authoritarian style and controversial spending
The protests left at least 100 dead.
Rajoelina, 34, was entrusted with power by the military but the international community refuses to recognise his leadership, saying the manner of his arrival to power was tantamount to a coup.