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Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina on Sunday announced that an attempt to seize power by force was underway, following a dramatic show of dissent by soldiers who joined anti-government demonstrators in the capital, Antananarivo.
The unrest intensified on Saturday when soldiers stationed on the outskirts of the city urged fellow security forces to “join forces” and “refuse orders to shoot” at protesters. Their defiance came amid a government crackdown on youth-led demonstrations that have gripped the island nation for more than two weeks.
Armed clashes reportedly broke out between the soldiers and gendarmes near a barracks before the troops drove military vehicles into the city centre to join the protesters at the Place du 13 Mai, a symbolic hub of political dissent. They were greeted with loud cheers and chants demanding President Rajoelina’s resignation.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the presidency said:
“An attempt to seize power illegally and by force, contrary to the Constitution and to democratic principles, is currently underway.”
President Rajoelina appealed for calm, stressing that dialogue and unity remained the only viable paths to resolving the crisis.
Meanwhile, the gendarmerie, accused of using excessive force against demonstrators, released a video admitting to “faults and excesses” in their previous interventions. The officers called for fraternity with the army, insisting that their mission was to protect citizens, not to instil fear.
They added that all future orders would now come directly from the gendarmerie’s headquarters, signalling growing cracks within the security apparatus.
Saturday’s rally in Antananarivo was one of the largest since protests began on 25 September, fuelled by widespread frustration over electricity and water shortages.
The presidency later confirmed that Rajoelina remains in the country and is “managing national affairs”, while the newly appointed prime minister assured that the government was “standing firm” and open to dialogue.
The soldiers who urged restraint were identified as members of the CAPSAT contingent, a unit of administrative and technical officers based in Soanierana.
The Soanierana base is historically significant — it led the 2009 mutiny that propelled Rajoelina to power during a similar wave of unrest.
However, it remains unclear how many soldiers have now joined the latest rebellion.
