Madagascar presidency announces that an effort to take control is in progress

The office of Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has reported that a bid to unlawfully and forcefully take power is occurring within the nation.

Shortly after, a military unit known as CAPSAT declared that it had assumed command of the military leadership and was currently overseeing all armed forces – terrestrial, aerial, and naval.

This is the same unit that was instrumental during the 2009 Malagasy political upheaval, which facilitated Rajoelina’s ascent to leadership.

Initially sparked by youth-led protests on September 25 against water and electricity outages, discontent has surged due to broader grievances with Rajoelina’s administration over rampant unemployment, corruption, and a rising cost-of-living crisis.

The location of Rajoelina is currently unknown, but in a statement, he claimed, “there is an effort to seize power occurring in the nation, fully contravening the Constitution and democratic norms,” according to a translation.

He denounced “with the utmost severity” what he termed an effort to destabilize the country. He further urged all pivotal national forces to unite in safeguarding the constitutional framework and national sovereignty.

CAPSAT announced the appointment of a new army chief of staff, Gen Demosthene Pikulas, through a statement on its Facebook account.

According to reports from the AFP news agency, armed forces minister Manantsoa Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo has acknowledged the appointment.

The minister was quoted as saying, “I give him my approval,” during a ceremony to install Gen Pikulas into the position.

Demonstrators have convened at the central square in the capital, Antananarivo, for a second consecutive day.

This marks a notable advancement, as they had previously been unable to access May 13 Square, a central site of earlier uprisings, until now.

A protestor informed the BBC that they had “finally reclaimed May 13 Square – the Square of Democracy.”

“We’re thrilled and relieved. It’s a monumental success. We won’t cease our efforts until President Rajoelina resigns,” the protestor added.

The achievement of the protesters followed unexpected backing from CAPSAT on Saturday, when some members of its forces exited their bases to join the protests.

CAPSAT condemned the use of force by other security forces against the demonstrators.

Reports indicated a gunfire incident at a CAPSAT base on Sunday, following similar accounts from Saturday.

CAPSAT confirmed that one soldier was shot by gendarmes on Saturday and succumbed to his injuries.

Air France announced the suspension of its flights to Antananarivo until at least Tuesday due to the security circumstances.

The African Union expressed deep concern regarding the recent events in Madagascar, urging all parties to address the crisis through dialogue.

The protest movement, labeled Gen Z Mada, has been galvanizing support predominantly through social media, representing the most significant challenge to Rajoelina since his re-election in 2023.

Some of the demonstrators have donned T-shirts and carried banners featuring a motif – a skull with a straw hat from the Japanese manga series “One Piece” – utilized by youth-led movements in various nations, including Indonesia and Peru.

On Saturday, a statement from the presidency assured the populace that Rajoelina and the newly appointed prime minister – an army general he designated last week – were in charge of the situation.

The UN human rights chief Volker Türk had earlier called on security forces to refrain from employing “unnecessary and disproportionate force” to suppress the protests. He mentioned that at least 22 individuals were killed and around 100 others injured.

Rajoelina contested these figures last week, asserting that there were 12 confirmed fatalities and “all these individuals were looters and vandals.”

Madagascar has experienced numerous uprisings since achieving independence in 1960, including significant protests in 2009 that compelled then-President Marc Ravalomanana to resign and enabled Rajoelina to ascend to power.

Rajoelina ruled for four years before regaining power following the 2018 election.

Despite its wealth of natural resources, Madagascar stands as one of the world’s poorest nations, with 75% of its population living beneath the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

Approximately one-third of Madagascar’s 30 million inhabitants have access to electricity, as reported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).