Antananarivo - Mutinous troops in Madagascar claimed Friday to have moved tanks into the capital Antananarivo, raising fears of a further escalation in the violent six-week standoff between the president and opposition.

A spokesman for the soldiers told BBC broadcasting service said the tanks were not on the streets, but at a "secret location."

Soldiers at the country's largest barracks in the capital on Sunday began refusing orders from President Marc Ravalomanana.

The troops are protesting the military's repeated use of deadly force against unarmed demonstrators, which have left dozens dead since the opposition took to the streets in January to demand the president's resignation.

The mutiny was reported to have spread to encompass much of the army during the week. It is not clear, however, whether the dissident soldiers are on side with opposition leader and ex-Antananarivo mayor, Andry Rajoelina.

US ambassador Niels Marquardt said on national television on Thursday night he believed the country was on the brink of civil conflict and appealed to all non-essential US workers to leave the island.

The international community has been appealing for dialogue between the presidential and opposition camps, but Rajoelina boycotted three days of talks that were due to start Thursday.

Rajoelina has been further boosted by a pledge of support from several judges and justice ministry officials Thursday.

Over 100 people have been killed and hundreds injured in the unrest since January.

The opposition accuses Ravalomanana, the country's president of seven years, of authoritarianism and economic misrule and is calling for the installation of an interim government, presided by Rajoelina.

Ravalomanana this week admitted for the first time publicly to making mistakes but is refusing to step down, saying he is the country's rightful leader after being reelected to a second term in 2006. (dpa)