Violence as OAU calls for government of national unity

The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) has called for a government of national unity to be set up in Madagascar until a new ballot is held to resolve the political crisis in the country. The call came amid reports of fresh violence in the port town of Tamatave. Local newspapers have reported several casualties and NGOs have raised concern about the nature of the violence. "There seems to be a strong anti-Merina sentiment in the east of the country, which if not checked may spiral out of control," Midi Madagasikara, a pro-opposition newspaper reported on Wednesday "What is particularly worrying is the increasing ethnic dimension to the violence, as the mainly coastal (President Didier) Ratsiraka supporters have threatened the Merina people living in Tamatave. We suspected that sooner or later the simmering tensions between the two groups would surface, and now it has," Madeleine Ramaholimihaso, who headed the consortium of civil society organisations that supervised the disputed presidential poll on 16 December 2001, told IRIN The trouble broke out over one blockade in the port and another 70 km away, manned by Ratsiraka supporters who have cut off petrol supplies to the capital. The OAU, which held emergency talks with self-declared president Marc Ravalomanana and incumbent president Ratsiraka last week, suggested in a report that an interim administration should rule for a maximum of six months and try to reach an agreement on staging another vote, which the grouping of 53 African nations would help supervise and monitor. By Wednesday neither candidate had commented on the OAU report, which analysts said may signal a thawing in the frosty relations between the two would-be presidents. Analysts said that while Ravalomanana's supporters may accept some of the recommendations made by the OAU, they were unlikely to agree to a government of national unity. "Opposition supporters already believe they have defeated Ratsiraka and it will be a bitter pill to swallow should they be forced into a coalition government," Heidi Hudson from the University of Stellenbosch told IRIN. The OAU delegation also urged supporters of both camps to end the general strike and return to work. The two-month long strike threatens to cripple an already fragile economy. Tension has continued to simmer in the island state off the east coast of Africa since Ravalomanana, the mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, alleged the December election had been fixed. After weeks marked by mass demonstrations, a general strike and failed negotiations, Ravalomanana declared himself "president" on 22 February 2002 and proceeded to set up a parallel "government". In a move to isolate Ravalomanana and his supporters, five provincial governors united behind President Ratsiraka and established a rival capital in Tamatave. Last month the OAU successfully brokered talks between Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana. Both candidates agreed to work towards restoring order and reaching a settlement over the disputed presidency. However, two weeks after the OAU departed, negotiations collapsed.