The office of Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina has reported that there is an attempt to seize power illegally and unconstitutionally in the country. This alarming statement comes shortly after the army unit known as CAPSAT announced it has taken over leadership of the military command and now controls all armed forces, including land, air, and naval divisions.
CAPSAT is the same unit that played a pivotal role in the 2009 political crisis, a situation that aided Rajoelina's rise to power. Protests initially erupted on September 25, primarily in response to frequent water and power cuts, but they have since escalated in response to wider dissatisfaction with the government's handling of issues like high unemployment, corruption, and the cost-of-living crisis.
Rajoelina condemned this attempted coup and urged all key forces in Madagascar to unite in defending the constitutional order and national sovereignty. CAPSAT has claimed it appointed Gen Demosthene Pikulas as the new chief of staff,
Reports emerged over the weekend of a gunfire incident at the CAPSAT camp involving gendarmerie officials, raising further concerns over the military's current stability. Simultaneously, some soldiers were seen joining protests in front of the town hall in Antananarivo.
In an earlier statement, Rajoelina attempted to assure the nation that he and the newly appointed Prime Minister, an army general, were in control of the situation, but escalating violence has cast doubt on the government's stability and future.
CAPSAT is the same unit that played a pivotal role in the 2009 political crisis, a situation that aided Rajoelina's rise to power. Protests initially erupted on September 25, primarily in response to frequent water and power cuts, but they have since escalated in response to wider dissatisfaction with the government's handling of issues like high unemployment, corruption, and the cost-of-living crisis.
Rajoelina condemned this attempted coup and urged all key forces in Madagascar to unite in defending the constitutional order and national sovereignty. CAPSAT has claimed it appointed Gen Demosthene Pikulas as the new chief of staff,
Reports emerged over the weekend of a gunfire incident at the CAPSAT camp involving gendarmerie officials, raising further concerns over the military's current stability. Simultaneously, some soldiers were seen joining protests in front of the town hall in Antananarivo.
In an earlier statement, Rajoelina attempted to assure the nation that he and the newly appointed Prime Minister, an army general, were in control of the situation, but escalating violence has cast doubt on the government's stability and future.
