ANTANANARIVO: Madagascar&#39;s presidency said on Sunday that an attempt to grab power by force was underway in the African nation as more soldiers joined a youth-led protest movement that has rocked the former French colony for more than two weeks. Troops from the elite CAPSAT unit that helped President Andry Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup, urged fellow soldiers to disobey orders on Saturday and back the youth-led protests, which began on September 25 and pose the most serious challenge to Rajoelina&#39;s rule since his reelection in 2023. CAPSAT officers said on Sunday they had command over the country&#39;s security operations and would coordinate all branches of the military from their base on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo. They said they had appointed General Demosthene Pikulas as head of the army. A unit of the paramilitary gendarmerie, which had so far tackled the protests together with the police, also broke ranks with the government on Sunday. &quot;All use of force and any improper behaviour towards our fellow citizens are prohibited, as the gendarmerie is a force meant to protect people and not to defend the interests of a few individuals,&quot; the Intervention Forces of the National Gendarmerie said in a statement broadcast on Real TV. It said it was coordinating with the CAPSAT headquarters. The Defence Ministry and the military general staff declined to comment. A Reuters witness saw three people injured after shots were fired along a road to the CAPSAT barracks on Sunday. Other witnesses said there was no sign of ongoing clashes. In a statement on the presidency&#39;s official social media account, Rajoelina&#39;s office said &quot;an attempted illegal and forcible seizure of power&quot; was underway, adding that the president had urged &quot;dialogue to resolve the crisis&quot;. Rajoelina&#39;s whereabouts were unknown on Sunday, but late on Saturday his office said he and the prime minister were &quot;fully in control of the nation&#39;s affairs&quot;. Gen Z protesters want president to step down The protests, inspired by Gen Z-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, began over water and electricity shortages but have since spread, with demonstrators calling for Rajoelina to step down, apologise for violence against protesters, and dissolve the Senate and electoral commission. Some demonstrators have been sporting T-shirts and flags with the same symbol - a skull with a straw hat from the Japanese manga series &quot;One Piece&quot; - used by youth-led demonstrators in countries including Indonesia and Peru. Thousands of protesters gathered in Antananarivo on Sunday to protest against the government and pay tribute to a slain CAPSAT soldier, whom the army unit said was killed by the gendarmerie on Saturday. The peaceful gathering was attended by church leaders and opposition politicians, including former President Marc Ravalomanana, as well as CAPSAT troops. Madagascar, a country where the median age is less than 20, has a population of about 30 million - three-quarters of whom live in poverty, according to the World Bank. A video broadcast by local media showed dozens of soldiers leaving the barracks on Saturday to escort thousands of protesters into the May 13 Square in Antananarivo, the scene of many political uprisings, which had been heavily guarded and off limits during the unrest. The African Union Commission&#39;s chief Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for calm and restraint. Citing the security situation on the ground, Air France-KLM&#39;s AIRF.PA French division suspended flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and Antananarivo from October 11 to October

Protesters cheer members of the Madagascar military behind a fence during a nationwide youth-led demonstration over frequent power outages and water shortages, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, October 11, 2025. (Reuters)

Africa

Madagascar faces an attempted coup as elite soldiers join youth protests demanding President Rajoelina’s resignation amid unrest, with calls for dialogue and flight suspensions.

Madagascar president warns of coup attempt as more soldiers join protests

Reuters

ANTANANARIVO: Hundreds of protesters across Madagascar demanded the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina on Wednesday, taking to the streets for a fifth day of demonstrations that have shaken the government, local television broadcasts showed. Spurred by the so-called youth-led &quot;Gen Z&quot; protests in Kenya and Nepal, the demonstrations have been the largest the Indian Ocean island has seen in years, and the most serious challenge Rajoelina has faced since his re-election in 2023. The protests initially started in Antananarivo last week over nationwide water shortages and power blackouts but have since spread across the island, prompting Rajoelina to dissolve the government late on Monday. His move failed to assuage public anger. A message on the protest movement&#39;s Facebook page called for Rajoelina&#39;s resignation as well as the dissolution of the election commission, the senate and the country&#39;s top court. Protesters chant &lsquo;Rajoelina out&rsquo; The United Nations says at least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured since the protests started last week, figures the government rejects. On Wednesday, protesters took to the streets in the capital and towns including Toliara, 925 km (575 miles) south of Antananarivo, chanting &quot;get out&quot; and waving flags and banners with the words &quot;Rajoelina Out&quot;, footage broadcast by privately-owned Radio T&eacute;l&eacute;vision Siteny showed. They were escorted by security forces in vehicles, and other protesters in rickshaws, the footage showed. A government spokesperson did not respond to Reuters requests for comment, however the president&#39;s spokesperson Lova Ranoromaro said on social media that property had been destroyed and homes looted. &quot;We do not want a coup d&#39;etat, because a coup d&#39;etat destroys a nation, because a coup d&#39;etat destroys the future of our children,&quot; Ranoromaro wrote on her personal Facebook account. Opposition leader Rivo Rakotovao said the main opposition parties&#39; alliance Firaisankina would not join any new government with Rajoelina in power, and called on him to step down. &quot;We fully support this action to rescue the Malagasy people and rebuild the nation, led by the Malagasy people and driven by the youth,&quot; Rakotovao told a news conference. Rajoelina first came to power in a 2009 coup. He stepped down in 2014 but became president again after winning the 2018 election, and secured a third term in a December 2023 poll that his challengers said was marred by irregularities. In a message from the Vatican, Pope Leo said he was saddened by the violent clashes in the predominantly Christian nation. &quot;Let us pray to the Lord that every form of violence may always be avoided and that the constant pursuit of social harmony may be fostered through the promotion of justice and the common good,&quot; he said in his weekly address.

A protester kicks a tear gas canister lobbed by Malagasy riot police officers to disperse protesters during a demonstration against frequent power outages and water shortages, within Antaninandro neighborhood, in Antananarivo, Madagascar. (Reuters)

Protests entered fifth day in Madagascar as the public demanded President Rajoelina’s resignation over water shortages and blackouts. Over 22 have been reported dead even as government reshuffled.

Articles tagged with "Madagascar president"

Madagascar president warns of coup attempt as more soldiers join protests

Madagascar protesters demand president's resignation in fifth day of rallies

Madagascar president warns of coup attempt as more soldiers join protests