Madagascar’s presidency announced on Sunday that there was an ongoing attempt to seize power by force in the African nation as additional soldiers aligned with a youth-led protest movement that has been unsettling the former French colony for over two weeks. Troops from the elite CAPSAT unit, instrumental in President Andry Rajoelina’s ascension to power in a 2009 coup, called on fellow soldiers to disregard orders on Saturday and support the youth-led demonstrations that commenced on September 25, presenting the most significant threat to Rajoelina’s authority since his re-election in 2023.
CAPSAT officers proclaimed on Sunday that they were in control of the country’s security operations and would oversee all military branches from their base on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo. They disclosed the appointment of Gen. Demosthene Pikulas as the army’s head. A unit of the paramilitary gendarmerie, which had been collaborating with the police to manage the protests, also sided with the protesters against the government on Sunday.
In a statement aired on Real TV, the Intervention Forces of the National Gendarmerie stressed the prohibition of any use of force or misconduct towards citizens, emphasizing that the gendarmerie’s role is to safeguard people rather than cater to individual interests. They noted their coordination with the CAPSAT headquarters.
The Defence Ministry and the military general staff refrained from providing comments. Witnesses reported three individuals sustaining injuries from gunfire near the road to the CAPSAT barracks on Sunday, although there were no ongoing clashes witnessed.
The presidency, through an official social media post, communicated that there was an active “attempted illegal and forcible seizure of power” in progress, with the president advocating for dialogue to address the crisis. While Rajoelina’s location remained unknown on Sunday, his office had confirmed on Saturday that he and the prime minister were managing the nation’s affairs competently.
The demonstrations, inspired by Gen Z-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, initially sparked over water and electricity shortages but have evolved, with protesters demanding Rajoelina’s resignation, an apology for violence against demonstrators, and the dissolution of the Senate and electoral commission. Many protesters sported attire and flags featuring a common symbol—a skull with a straw hat from the Japanese manga series One Piece—similar to the emblem used by youth-led protests in various countries worldwide.
Thousands of protesters congregated in Antananarivo on Sunday, challenging the government and honoring a deceased CAPSAT soldier allegedly killed by the gendarmerie on Saturday. The peaceful assembly saw the participation of religious leaders, opposition figures, including former president Marc Ravalomanana, and CAPSAT troops.
Madagascar, with a predominantly youthful population and significant poverty levels, witnessed numerous soldiers exiting the barracks on Saturday to escort protesters into May 13 Square in Antananarivo, a historically significant location for political uprisings. The African Union Commission’s head, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, called for calm and restraint.
Due to the security situation, Air France-KLM’s French division suspended flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Antananarivo from Saturday to Monday.