Madagascar on Edge as Soldiers Join Protests in Attempted Coup

 

                                                Madagascar has been gripped by weeks of anti-government protests.

Madagascar is facing its most serious political crisis in over a decade after President Andry Rajoelina warned of an “attempted illegal and forcible seizure of power.” The announcement came after members of the elite CAPSAT military unit — the same force that helped Rajoelina rise to power in 2009 — joined nationwide protests in the capital, Antananarivo.

The demonstrations, which began in late September over chronic water and electricity shortages, have swelled into a broader movement demanding Rajoelina’s resignation, the dissolution of key state institutions, and accountability for violence against protesters.

On Saturday, soldiers marched alongside mostly young demonstrators, urging fellow troops to disobey orders from their commanders. Witnesses reported sporadic gunfire near military barracks, with several people injured, though no sustained clashes have been confirmed.

The presidency has called on loyal forces to defend the constitution, while protesters vow to continue their push for change. With echoes of Madagascar’s turbulent political past, the unfolding crisis poses the gravest challenge yet to Rajoelina’s rule since his reelection in 2023.