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A group of soldiers stationed near Madagascar’s capital issued a dramatic appeal on Saturday, urging fellow members of the armed forces and police to “join forces” and “refuse orders to shoot” at demonstrators, as several thousand people marched through Antananarivo.
The move comes a day after the United Nations called on Madagascar’s authorities to refrain from using excessive force against demonstrators, following violent clashes with police that left several people injured on Thursday.
In a video released early Saturday from a major military base in the Soanierana district on the outskirts of the capital, the soldiers declared: “Let us unite—military, gendarmes, and police—and refuse to be paid to shoot our friends, our brothers, and our sisters.”
They urged troops in other bases to “refuse orders to shoot your friends” and instructed them to “close the gates and await our instructions.”
“Do not obey orders from your superiors,” they continued. “Point your weapons at those who command you to fire on your comrades, because they will not care for our families if we die.”
It remained unclear on Saturday how many soldiers had joined the rebellion.
The Soanierana base has historical significance, having led a mutiny in 2009 that contributed to the uprising which brought the current president, Andry Rajoelina, to power.
In response, the newly appointed Minister of the Armed Forces, General Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo, urged calm during a press conference on Saturday.
“We call on our brothers who disagree with us to prioritise dialogue,” he said, adding that “the Malagasy army remains a mediator and constitutes the nation’s last line of defence.”
