Troops at two of Madagascar's largest army barracks began a mutiny on Sunday, unconfirmed reports from independent radio station Antsiva in the capital Antananarivo said, according to dpa. The station said the troops stated they would take no more orders from President Marc Ravalomanana. Eyewitnesses reported street blockades and shooting in the capital. A train from the city of Antsirabe was stopped 20 kilometres from the capital due to fears of violence. However, it remained unclear what support the mutineers had in their own ranks. In the evening, state television reported that the situation was under control of government soldiers, and that the mutiny was no more than a political manoeuvre. The tropical island off the east coast of Africa has for several months been under a bloody power struggle between incumbent president Ravalomanana and self-declared head of state Andre Rajoelina.
