Elite Soldiers Turn on Rajoelina Amid Weeks of Utility Protests, Claiming Control of Armed Forces.
Madagascar’s weekslong political crisis escalated dramatically Sunday after a renegade military unit declared it was taking control of the armed forces, hours after the presidency alleged an illegal attempt to overthrow the government.
The elite soldiers, who were instrumental in bringing President Andry Rajoelina to power in a 2009 coup, have now switched allegiance to join youth-led anti-government protests that have gripped the nation over chronic water and electricity shortages.
Officers from the administrative and technical contingent (CAPSAT) of the army intensified the crisis by announcing their claim over the military command. “From now on, all orders of the Malagasy army – whether land, air or [naval] – will originate from CAPSAT headquarters,” officers stated in a video message.
Earlier, the presidency had issued a terse statement alleging “an attempted illegal and forcible seizure of power” was under way, although it did not provide specific details on the perpetrators at the time.
The crisis marks the gravest threat to Rajoelina’s rule since his disputed 2023 reelection. On Saturday, members of the influential CAPSAT unit urged their comrades to disobey orders and back the uprising, criticizing the military leadership for obeying illegal commands.
“We have become bootlickers,” some members of the unit said in a video posted on social media. They instructed their comrades: “Do not obey orders from your superiors. Point your weapons at those who order you to fire on your comrades in arms because they will not take care of our families if we die.”
The United Nations has reported at least 22 fatalities since the protests erupted in late September, driven initially by frustration over widespread blackouts and water scarcity. The protesters, organized under the banner Gen Z Madagascar, have rejected repeated government offers for dialogue, demanding Rajoelina’s immediate resignation.
