A rebellious military unit in Madagascar announced on Sunday that it had taken control of the armed forces across all branches, a move President Andry Rajoelina described as an “illegal attempt to seize power.”
The developments came after the CAPSAT unit — composed of administrative and technical officers — joined thousands of protesters in central Antananarivo on Saturday, marking a major shift in a protest movement that has been ongoing for more than two weeks over power and water outages.
Earlier, the unit had refused orders to open fire on demonstrators and criticized the gendarmerie, which has been accused of excessive use of force that resulted in casualties.
In a video statement released Sunday, the unit declared that “all military orders, by land, sea, and air, will now be issued from the CAPSAT headquarters,” and announced the appointment of General Démosthène Békoulas as army chief — a position left vacant since the previous commander was appointed Minister of the Armed Forces last week.
There was no immediate comment from the official military leadership or other units regarding the rebels’ declaration.
However, President Rajoelina said in a statement that “dialogue is the only path to overcoming the crisis,” calling for national unity.
Meanwhile, the gendarmerie admitted in a separate video message to “excesses” during its interventions and called for “brotherhood” with the army, affirming that it would take orders only from its central command.
The capital witnessed on Saturday one of the largest demonstrations since the protest movement began on September 25, with soldiers from the mutinous unit accompanying protesters in military vehicles as crowds chanted for the president’s resignation.
Local media reported that two people were killed and 26 injured during Saturday’s events, while the mutinous unit said one of its soldiers had been shot dead by gendarmerie forces. The United Nations had earlier counted 22 deaths in the initial days of the protests, though the president downplayed the toll, saying that “only 12 deaths have been confirmed, all of them thieves and vandals.”
The African Union Commission expressed its “deep concern” over the situation, urging all civilian and military parties to exercise restraint and commit to dialogue. South Africa also called on all sides to respect the constitution and the democratic process.
These developments evoke memories of 2009, when a military mutiny originating from the same base in the Soanierana suburb contributed to the overthrow of the then-president and the rise of Rajoelina to power.