Madagascar army reservists take lawmakers hostage

"We are taking the deputies hostage so that they debate our demands today. From our point of view, negotiations are over," the reservists' spokesman Georges Randimbiarijaona told AFP.

A parliamentary official told AFP that all 160 deputies were in the building to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of an association of parliamentarians and their staff.

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According to Randimbiarijaona, between 1,000 and 1,500 reservists had gathered at the National Assembly building in the central highland capital, Antananarivo.

The reservists are demanding demobilisation bonuses in excess of the 200,000 ariary (118 euros) per person promised them by the government during a ceremonial laying down of arms in January this year.