'No amnesty' for Ratsiraka

Blockades have devastated Madagascar's economy

Madagascar's newly-proclaimed president, Marc Ravalomanana, has withdrawn an offer of amnesty for his rival claimant, Didier Ratsiraka.

Mr Ravalomanana accused the country's former leader of involvement in an attempt to send a group of French mercenaries to Madagascar to try to destabilise the new government.

Mr Ratsiraka left Madagascar for France last week, and the Ravalomanana government says that if he returns, he will be prosecuted for trying to seek weapons and allies abroad.

The political crisis broke out six months ago, after presidential elections which the two men claimed to have won until Mr Ravalomanana was formally declared the winner and appointed a government.

Talks uncertain

On Wednesday morning, 12 suspected mercenaries flew back to Paris after their plane, reportedly on its way to Madagascar, was intercepted in Tanzania following intervention from the French Foreign Ministry who said the men had "suspicious intentions".

Ravalomanana's government says he wants to rid Africa of coups

Mr Ravalomanana's spokesman, Raymond Ramandimbilahatra, said Mr Ratsiraka was the mastermind behind the alleged plot.

Mr Ratsiraka had "sent foreign mercenaries several times to Madagascar to destabilise Marc Ravalomanana's regime and to kill Malagasies," Mr Ravalomanana's office said.

And it appealed to the international community to recognise his presidency, something which continues to elude him.

The BBC's Jonny Donovan in Antananarivo says that for many people in Madagascar, this latest breakdown in relations between the two camps means that Mr Ratsiraka's time is over.

The two rivals were supposed to attend talks brokered by the Organisation of African Unity in Ethiopia on Friday, and it was unclear whether Mr Ravalomanana would attend.

"You will know when the time comes," Mr Ramandimbilahatra said.

An aide to Mr Ratsiraka was quoted by the French news agency AFP as saying that he was due to leave Paris for Addis Ababa on Thursday.