Madagascar’s presidency announced on Sunday that an effort to seize control by force was in progress in the African country as additional soldiers aligned with a youth-driven protest movement that has shaken the former French colony for over two weeks. Troops from the elite CAPSAT unit, which played a key role in President Andry Rajoelina’s rise to power in a 2009 coup, called on fellow soldiers to defy orders and support the youth-led demonstrations that commenced on September 25, presenting the most significant challenge to Rajoelina’s authority since his re-election in 2023.
CAPSAT officers declared on Sunday that they were in charge of the nation’s security operations and would oversee all military branches from their headquarters on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo. They announced the appointment of Gen. 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’s stance on Sunday.
In a statement aired on Real TV, the Intervention Forces of the National Gendarmerie emphasized that any use of force or inappropriate conduct towards citizens was forbidden, stating that the gendarmerie’s role was to safeguard people, not cater to a select group’s interests. They mentioned collaborating with the CAPSAT headquarters.
The Defence Ministry and military general staff refrained from commenting. Witnesses reported three individuals sustaining injuries from gunfire near the CAPSAT barracks on Sunday, although others noted no ongoing clashes. President Rajoelina’s office, through a statement on the official social media account, labeled the situation as an “attempted illegal and forcible power seizure” and highlighted the president’s call for dialogue to address the crisis.
The protests, inspired by youth-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, initially ignited over water and electricity shortages but have expanded, with participants demanding Rajoelina’s resignation, an apology for violence against protesters, and the dissolution of the Senate and electoral commission. Demonstrators, some donning T-shirts and flags bearing a common symbol from the Japanese manga series One Piece, gathered in Antananarivo on Sunday to voice discontent with the government and honor a deceased CAPSAT soldier allegedly killed by the gendarmerie.
The peaceful assembly attracted church leaders, opposition figures, including former president Marc Ravalomanana, and CAPSAT troops. Madagascar, with a predominantly youthful population and high poverty rates, witnessed soldiers departing from the barracks on Saturday to escort protesters into the May 13 Square in Antananarivo. The African Union Commission’s chief urged for calm and restraint in light of the situation. Due to the security climate, Air France-KLM’s French division suspended flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Antananarivo from Saturday to Monday.