Air France (AIRF.PA) announced the suspension of its flights between Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport and Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, citing “the security situation on the ground.”
The airline said it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the authorities, adding that “the resumption of operations will depend on daily assessments of the situation.” It also stated that affected customers will be notified and offered rebooking or refund options.
Madagascar’s presidency announced on Sunday an “illegal and forceful attempt to seize power” in the country, without giving further details, following the defection of some soldiers who joined a protest movement that began last month.
Elite troops from the CAPSAT unit — which had helped President Andry Rajoelina seize power in 2009 — urged fellow soldiers on Saturday to disobey orders and support the demonstrators.
The protests, which initially erupted over popular grievances, began on September 25 and now represent the most serious challenge to Rajoelina’s rule since his re-election in 2023.
On Sunday, CAPSAT officers declared that they were in control of the country’s security operations and would coordinate all branches of the armed forces from their base on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo. They also announced the appointment of General Démosthène Békoulas, former head of the military academy, as army chief. Meanwhile, a unit of the paramilitary gendarmerie — which had until then worked with the police to suppress protests — defected from the government on Sunday.
In a statement broadcast on Real TV, the gendarmerie’s intervention forces declared: “The use of force in any form is strictly prohibited. Any misconduct toward our citizens is unacceptable, because the gendarmerie exists to protect the people, not to defend the interests of a select few.”
In a post on social media, President Rajoelina’s office said that “an illegal and forceful attempt to seize power” was underway, adding that the president had called for “dialogue to resolve the crisis.” Late on Saturday, his office stated that both the president and the prime minister were “fully in control of the affairs of the country.”
However, by Sunday, the president’s whereabouts remained unclear, with many Malagasy citizens believing he had left the country.