President of Madagascar: ‘Attempt to seize power is underway’

The office of Madagascar President Andriy Rajoelina says an illegal and forceful attempt to seize power is underway in Madagascar.

Hours later, an army unit known as CAPSAT claimed it had taken over command of the military headquarters and now controlled all military forces, including the army, air force, and navy.

This is the same unit that played a key role in Rajoelina’s rise to power during Madagascar’s 2009 political crisis.

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

President Rajoelina translated the statement and said, “There is currently an attempt to seize power in the territory of the republic in complete violation of the constitution and democratic principles.”

He condemned “in the strongest possible terms” any attempt to destabilize the country. In addition, he ordered all key forces to unite to protect constitutional order and national sovereignty.

CAPSAT said it has appointed a new Chief of Staff, Demostene Pikulas, according to a statement on its Facebook page.

Protesters gathered in the central square of the capital Antananarivo for two days in a row.

This is a significant development in that it did not reach May 13th Square, the center of the previous uprising.

One protester told the BBC, “We finally conquered May 13 Square, the square of democracy.”

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

The protesters’ success came after they received unexpected support on Saturday when some of CAPSAT’s troops left their barracks to join the protest.

CAPSAT condemned other security forces’ use of force against protesters.

Following similar reports on Saturday, there were reports of gunfights taking place at the CAPSAT camp on Sunday.

CAPSAT said one soldier was shot dead by military police on Saturday.

Air France said it had suspended flights to Antananarivo until at least Tuesday due to the security situation.

The protest movement known as Gen Z Mada has rallied support primarily through social media and has become the biggest challenge to Rajoelina, who is re-elected in 2023.

On Saturday, the president’s office issued a statement assuring the public that Rajoelina and the new prime minister, an army general he appointed last week, had the situation under control.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, 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 wounded.

Rajoelina disputed the figure, saying last week the confirmed death toll was 12, saying “all these people were looters and vandals.”

Madagascar has suffered from several uprisings since gaining independence in 1960. There have been several uprisings, including mass demonstrations in 2009 that led then-President Marc Ravalomanana to resign and Rajoelina to take power.

Rajoelina took power after the 2018 elections after four years in power.

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

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), only about a third of Madagascar’s 30 million people have access to electricity.