An attempted coup is under way in the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, the country’s president has said, a day after members of an elite army unit were seen joining youth-led protests against the government.
Madagascar has been shaken by three weeks of the most significant unrest seen for years, with protests led by a group calling itself “Gen Z Madagascar”. The United Nations has said the demonstrations have left 22 people dead and dozens injured, though the government has disputed this number.
A statement from President Andry Rajoelina’s office on Sunday said it “wishes to inform the nation and the international community that an attempt to seize power illegally and by force” has been “initiated”.
It added: “In view of the extreme gravity of this situation, the president of the Republic ... strongly condemns this attempt at destabilisation and calls upon all forces of the nation to unite in defence of constitutional order and national sovereignty.”
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The statement did not identify who was attempting to overthrow the government, but members of the elite Capsat military unit joined the protests against Mr Rajoelina on Saturday and called for the president and other government officials to step down.
Addressing crowds of protesters from an armoured vehicle, Col Michael Randrianirina of the Capsat unit had said on Saturday: “Do we call this a coup? I don’t know yet.”
He denied any coup had taken place, but the unit claimed to have taken control of all of Madagascar’s armed forces and said it had installed a new leader of the military, Gen Demosthene Pikulas.
“We responded to the people’s call,” Mr Randrianirina told reporters. Mr Pikulas, who spoke alongside Mr Randrianirina, declined to say if they had asked Mr Rajoelina to resign, but the Capsat army unit appeared to be in a position of authority.
The protests on Saturday were among the largest since the unrest began on September 25th.
Protesters have brought up a range of issues, including poverty and the cost of living, access to tertiary education, and alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds by government officials and their families and associates.
Civic groups and trade unions have joined the protests, which have resulted in night-time curfews being enforced in the capital Antananarivo and other big cities.
Mr Rajoelina had attempted to appease the protesters by firing his entire government, including the prime minister, on September 29th. But he appointed a military general as the new prime minister and the protesters have not relented.
Madagascar, a large island of 31 million people off the east coast of Africa, has had several leaders removed in coups since it gained independence from France in 1960.
Mr Rajoelina first came to power as the leader of a transitional government following a 2009 military-backed coup.
An uprising by the Capsat unit was pivotal in the coup that brought Mr Rajoelina to power. He was elected president in 2018 and re-elected in 2023 – a vote boycotted by opposition parties. – AP
