Madagascar’s presidency announced on Sunday that an effort to seize power by force was in progress in the African nation as additional soldiers joined a youth-driven protest movement that has shaken the former French colony for over two weeks. Troops from the elite CAPSAT unit, known for aiding President Andry Rajoelina’s takeover in a 2009 coup, encouraged fellow soldiers on Saturday to defy orders and support the youth-led demonstrations that commenced on September 25, marking the most significant threat to Rajoelina’s leadership since his re-election in 2023. CAPSAT officers declared on Sunday that they had assumed control of the country’s security operations and would coordinate all military branches from their base on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo. They also announced the appointment of Gen. Demosthene Pikulas as the army’s head. Additionally, a unit of the paramilitary gendarmerie, previously involved in handling the protests alongside the police, also broke ranks with the government on Sunday.
The Intervention Forces of the National Gendarmerie conveyed in a statement broadcasted on Real TV that all use of force and any misconduct towards citizens were forbidden, emphasizing the gendarmerie’s role as a force to safeguard people rather than serve a select few individuals. They affirmed their coordination with the CAPSAT headquarters. The Defence Ministry and military general staff declined to provide comments. An observer from Reuters witnessed three individuals sustaining injuries from gunshots near the CAPSAT barracks on Sunday, though no ongoing clashes were reported.
In a statement released via the presidency’s official social media account, Rajoelina’s office highlighted that an illegal and forcible power seizure was in progress, with the president advocating for dialogue to resolve the crisis. Rajoelina’s whereabouts remained unknown on Sunday, but his office stated late Saturday that he and the prime minister were fully managing the nation’s affairs.
The demonstrations, inspired by Gen Z-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, originated due to water and electricity shortages but have since expanded, with protesters demanding Rajoelina’s resignation, an apology for violence against demonstrators, and the dissolution of the Senate and electoral commission. A symbol featuring a skull with a straw hat from the manga series “One Piece,” commonly used by youth-led protesters in various countries, has been prominently displayed by some demonstrators. Thousands of protesters congregated in Antananarivo on Sunday to protest against the government and honor a slain CAPSAT soldier allegedly killed by the gendarmerie on Saturday.
The peaceful assembly was attended by church leaders, opposition figures like former president Marc Ravalomanana, and CAPSAT troops. Madagascar, a nation with a predominantly youthful population where poverty affects three-quarters of the 32 million inhabitants, witnessed dozens of soldiers leaving their barracks on Saturday to escort protesters to May 13 Square in Antananarivo, a site historically off-limits and heavily guarded during unrest. The chief of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, appealed for calm and restraint. Due to the security situation on the ground, Air France-KLM’s French division suspended flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Antananarivo from Saturday to Monday.