Madagascar president appeals to security forces
* President calls on armed forces to protect civilians
* U.S. embassy encourages non-essential staff to evacuate
* UN mediator says talks postponed
* EU warns coup would lead to aid suspension
(Adds gendarmerie, president)
By Richard Lough
ANTANANARIVO, March 12 (Reuters) - Madagascar's president on Thursday appealed to the splintering security forces "to fulfil their responsibilities" in a power struggle with the opposition that has killed 135 people on the Indian Ocean island.
U.N.-brokered talks aimed at solving the crisis which had been due to take place were postponed and the United States encouraged its diplomats and citizens in the country to leave.
The unrest on the world's fourth largest island has left it unclear who is controlling the government and security forces.
On Wednesday, the leader of a widening mutiny within the army appointed himself chief of staff, ousting Madagascar's top general who had given the political rivals 72 hours -- until Friday -- to find a solution or face army intervention.
In a statement on national radio, President Marc Ravalomanana, who has appeared recently to be losing control of the traditionally neutral armed forces, called for calm.
"Our priority is to restore law and order. I appeal to the security forces to fulfil their responsibilities and protect the people and to do it with dignity," he said.
Shops along the capital Antananarivo's May 13 Plaza -- the epicentre of popular revolts since Madagascar won independence from France in 1960 -- stayed shut as nervous residents awaited developments. Usually traffic-choked streets were quiet.
Mediators had hoped to bring Ravalomanana and opposition leader Andry Rajoelina together on Thursday for face-to-face talks to end the chaos that is crippling a $390 million-a-year tourism industry and spooking foreign investors.
But Rajoelina, who has been under U.N. protection since fleeing attempts to arrest him last week, refused to attend.
"Today's dialogue has been postponed," U.N. mediator Drame Tiebile told Reuters, giving no more details.
U.S. Ambassador Niels Marquardt, who said on Wednesday that Madagascar was "on the verge of civil war", had offered staff voluntary evacuation, sources at the mission told Reuters.
"He has very strongly encouraged us to leave if we feel uncomfortable," said one senior official, who was planning to fly out with relatives on Friday.
An embassy message said: "We encourage all Americans in Madagascar to monitor the situation closely and consider departing the country while commercial air is still operating normally."
Rajoelina, 34, a baby-faced former disc jockey, has tapped into a deep vein of public anger at Ravalomanana's failure to tackle poverty. He calls the president a dictator and has tried to establish a parallel administration.
MILITARY FACTOR
Critics call Rajoelina a maverick and troublemaker, and analysts are unsure he may have over-played his hand or is riding on a popular wave that could carry him to power.
The political crisis, which has been running since the start of 2009, has intensified in the past few days.
European Union mission head Jean-Claude Boidin told Reuters any "non-constitutional" solution to the political impasse -- meaning a coup -- would lead to a suspension of aid.
"It is not a possibility, it is the rule according to the Cotonou (aid) agreement," Boidin said.
Rajoelina's camp appeared to endorse the army mutineers for the first time late on Wednesday. "Madagascar's security forces have taken responsibility, not wanting to disgrace their military honour through acts of repression," it said.
A source in the gendarmerie, or military police, said the unit was to announce later on Thursday support for the mutiny. That would mean two sections of Madagascar's security forces -- army and gendarmerie, but not the normal police -- had swung against Ravalomanana.
"What worries me is if the president brings in outside mercenaries to protect himself since the army no longer listens to him," said pro-opposition driver Rivo Rasandratra. "The security forces would never accept it. Then we have a problem." - For possible scenarios in the crisis please click [ID:nLC502025] - For a Q&A on what next for Madagascar please click [ID:nL9665512] - For factboxes on Madagascar please click [ID:nL799617] and [ID:nLR162452]) (Additional reporting by Alain Iloniaina; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
* U.S. embassy encourages non-essential staff to evacuate
* UN mediator says talks postponed
* EU warns coup would lead to aid suspension
(Adds gendarmerie, president)
By Richard Lough
ANTANANARIVO, March 12 (Reuters) - Madagascar's president on Thursday appealed to the splintering security forces "to fulfil their responsibilities" in a power struggle with the opposition that has killed 135 people on the Indian Ocean island.
U.N.-brokered talks aimed at solving the crisis which had been due to take place were postponed and the United States encouraged its diplomats and citizens in the country to leave.
The unrest on the world's fourth largest island has left it unclear who is controlling the government and security forces.
On Wednesday, the leader of a widening mutiny within the army appointed himself chief of staff, ousting Madagascar's top general who had given the political rivals 72 hours -- until Friday -- to find a solution or face army intervention.
In a statement on national radio, President Marc Ravalomanana, who has appeared recently to be losing control of the traditionally neutral armed forces, called for calm.
"Our priority is to restore law and order. I appeal to the security forces to fulfil their responsibilities and protect the people and to do it with dignity," he said.
Shops along the capital Antananarivo's May 13 Plaza -- the epicentre of popular revolts since Madagascar won independence from France in 1960 -- stayed shut as nervous residents awaited developments. Usually traffic-choked streets were quiet.
Mediators had hoped to bring Ravalomanana and opposition leader Andry Rajoelina together on Thursday for face-to-face talks to end the chaos that is crippling a $390 million-a-year tourism industry and spooking foreign investors.
But Rajoelina, who has been under U.N. protection since fleeing attempts to arrest him last week, refused to attend.
"Today's dialogue has been postponed," U.N. mediator Drame Tiebile told Reuters, giving no more details.
U.S. Ambassador Niels Marquardt, who said on Wednesday that Madagascar was "on the verge of civil war", had offered staff voluntary evacuation, sources at the mission told Reuters.
"He has very strongly encouraged us to leave if we feel uncomfortable," said one senior official, who was planning to fly out with relatives on Friday.
An embassy message said: "We encourage all Americans in Madagascar to monitor the situation closely and consider departing the country while commercial air is still operating normally."
Rajoelina, 34, a baby-faced former disc jockey, has tapped into a deep vein of public anger at Ravalomanana's failure to tackle poverty. He calls the president a dictator and has tried to establish a parallel administration.
MILITARY FACTOR
Critics call Rajoelina a maverick and troublemaker, and analysts are unsure he may have over-played his hand or is riding on a popular wave that could carry him to power.
The political crisis, which has been running since the start of 2009, has intensified in the past few days.
European Union mission head Jean-Claude Boidin told Reuters any "non-constitutional" solution to the political impasse -- meaning a coup -- would lead to a suspension of aid.
"It is not a possibility, it is the rule according to the Cotonou (aid) agreement," Boidin said.
Rajoelina's camp appeared to endorse the army mutineers for the first time late on Wednesday. "Madagascar's security forces have taken responsibility, not wanting to disgrace their military honour through acts of repression," it said.
A source in the gendarmerie, or military police, said the unit was to announce later on Thursday support for the mutiny. That would mean two sections of Madagascar's security forces -- army and gendarmerie, but not the normal police -- had swung against Ravalomanana.
"What worries me is if the president brings in outside mercenaries to protect himself since the army no longer listens to him," said pro-opposition driver Rivo Rasandratra. "The security forces would never accept it. Then we have a problem." - For possible scenarios in the crisis please click [ID:nLC502025] - For a Q&A on what next for Madagascar please click [ID:nL9665512] - For factboxes on Madagascar please click [ID:nL799617] and [ID:nLR162452]) (Additional reporting by Alain Iloniaina; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
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