Madagascar’s presidency announced on Sunday that an attempt to seize power forcefully was in progress in the African nation, with more soldiers joining a youth-led protest movement that has shaken the former French colony for over two weeks. Troops from the elite CAPSAT unit, which played a role in President Andry Rajoelina’s rise to power in a 2009 coup, called on fellow soldiers to defy orders and support the ongoing youth-led demonstrations that commenced on September 25. This marks the most significant challenge to Rajoelina’s authority since his reelection in 2023.
CAPSAT officers declared on Sunday that they were overseeing the country’s security operations and would coordinate all military branches from their base near the capital, Antananarivo. They announced the appointment of General Demosthene Pikulas as the army’s leader. Additionally, a unit of the paramilitary gendarmerie, previously involved in handling the protests alongside the police, also distanced itself from the government on Sunday.
In a statement aired on Real TV, the Intervention Forces of the National Gendarmerie emphasized that the use of force and any misconduct towards citizens were forbidden, asserting the gendarmerie’s role as a protector of the people rather than a defender of individual interests. The Defense Ministry and the military general staff chose not to offer any comments.
During an incident on Sunday, witnesses reported three individuals injured by gunfire along a road leading to the CAPSAT barracks. However, other witnesses mentioned no ongoing confrontations. The presidency released a statement via social media denouncing the “illegal and forcible power seizure attempt” and called for dialogue to address the crisis. While Rajoelina’s whereabouts were unknown on Sunday, his office stated that both he and the prime minister remained in full control of the nation’s affairs.
Inspired by Gen Z-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, the protests originally sparked due to water and electricity shortages but have since escalated. Protesters now demand Rajoelina’s resignation, an apology for violence against demonstrators, and the dissolution of the Senate and electoral commission. Many demonstrators have adopted a common symbol – a skull with a straw hat from the Japanese manga series “One Piece” – used by youth-led movements in various countries. Thousands of protesters gathered in Antananarivo on Sunday to express discontent with the government and honor a deceased CAPSAT soldier allegedly killed by the gendarmerie.
The peaceful assembly, attended by church leaders, opposition figures, including former President Marc Ravalomanana, and CAPSAT troops, took place in a country where the majority of the population lives in poverty. Madagascar, with a population of around 30 million and a median age of under 20, faces significant economic challenges. Notably, Air France-KLM’s French division suspended flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and Antananarivo from October 11 to October 13 due to the security situation.
Amid the unrest, the African Union Commission’s chief Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for calm and restraint in Madagascar.