The political crisis caused by a disputed presidential election is spiraling close to civil war now as troops loyal to the newly elected president are fighting with those loyal to the defeated incumbent who refused to accept a court ruling that he lost the election. Conflict has occurred in the vanilla-producing region of Diego Suarez in the northeast, and there are threats to break the blockade around the capital city of Antananarivo by force rather than negotiation. Food and fuel is growing scarce and a humanitarian crisis is looming.
