Madagascar presidency says attempt to seize power under way

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina’s office said that an attempt to seize power illegally and by force is continuing in the country.

Hours later, an army unit known as CAPSAT claimed to have taken over leadership of the military command and was now in control of all armed forces – land, air and sea.

This is the same unit that played a key role in the 2009 Madagascar political crisis that helped bring Rajoelina to power.

Madagascar was first shaken by youth-led protests against water and power cuts on September 25, but these protests have escalated to reflect broader dissatisfaction with Rajoelina’s government over high unemployment, corruption and a cost-of-living crisis.

In the translation of Rajoelina’s statement, it was said that “there is currently an attempt to seize power on the territory of the Republic, in complete violation of the Constitution and democratic principles.”

He condemned “in the strongest possible terms” what he called an attempt to destabilize the country. He also called on all the country’s key forces to unite to defend the constitutional order and national sovereignty.

CAPSAT said it has appointed a new chief of staff, General Demosthene Pikulas, according to a statement posted on its Facebook page.

Protesters gathered in the main square of the capital Antananarivo for the second day in a row.

This is a very important development, because they have not been able to reach May 13 Square, which was the focal point of previous uprisings, until now.

One protester told the BBC that they had “finally conquered May 13 Square, Democracy Square”.

“We are happy and relieved. This is a great victory. We will not stop the fight until President Rajoelina resigns,” the protesters added.

The demonstrators’ success came after they received unexpected support from CAPSAT on Saturday, when some troops left their barracks to join the demonstration.

CAPSAT condemned use of force against protesters by other security units.

Following similar news on Saturday, there were reports of a gunfight at the CAPSAT camp on Sunday.

CAPSAT said a soldier was shot and killed by gendarmes on Saturday.

Air France said it was suspending flights to Antananarivo until at least Tuesday due to the security situation, AFP news agency reported.

The protest movement known as Generation Z is gathering support mainly through social media and poses Rajoelina’s biggest challenge since his re-election in 2023.

A presidential statement on Saturday reassured the nation that Rajoelina and the new prime minister (the army general he appointed last week) were in control of the situation.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk had previously called on security forces to stop using “unnecessary and disproportionate force” to quell the unrest. He said at least 22 people were killed and 100 were injured.

Rajoelina disputed that figure last week, saying there were 12 confirmed deaths and that “all of these people are looters and vandals.”

Madagascar has been rocked by numerous uprisings since gaining independence in 1960, including mass protests in 2009 that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to resign and saw Rajoelina come to power.

Rajoelina governed for four years and returned to power after the 2018 elections.

Despite its natural resources, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, and according to the World Bank, 75% of people live below the poverty line.

Only one-third of Madagascar’s 30 million population has access to electricity, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).