Rebel soldiers from Madagascar claimed this Sunday (12) to have taken command of the country’s Armed Forces, while President Andry Rajoelina denounced an “illegal attempt to seize power”. The group, from the elite CAPSAT unit, declared that it had centralized control of the Army after joining protests led by young people from “Gen Z Madagascar”.
In a statement, the Presidency said it “informs the nation and the international community” that an “illegal and forcible” coup attempt is underway. The text adds that Rajoelina “strongly condemns this attempt at destabilization” and called on “all the forces of the nation” to unite in defense of the constitutional order and national sovereignty.
The government did not directly identify those responsible, but CAPSAT, the Army’s administrative and technical personnel and services body, announced in a video that “all orders from the Madagascar Army, whether land, air or naval”, would now be issued from its headquarters. The same base led a riot in 2009 that brought the current president to power.
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The acts began on September 25, with claims for failures in water and electricity services, and expanded to allegations of corruption, nepotism and lack of opportunities. The “Gen Z Madagascar” movement, made up mainly of young people, has been leading the demonstrations in the capital, Antananarivo.
According to a UN report, 22 people have died and dozens have been injured since the protests began — numbers that the government disputes, saying there were 12 dead and attributing the victims to “looters”.
Rajoelina, 51, came to power after a coup in 2009 and won elections in 2018 and 2023, both marked by opposition boycotts. Madagascar, one of the poorest nations in the world, faces recurring periods of political instability and around 75% of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
