Madagascar is teetering on the edge of a political crisis after President Andry Rajoelina claimed an “attempt to seize power illegally and by force” was underway, following an unprecedented show of defiance by sections of the military who joined mass anti-government protests in the capital.
Thousands of demonstrators flooded Antananarivo’s May 13 Square on Saturday in the largest rally since the youth-led movement began on September 25.
The protests, initially sparked by crippling power and water shortages, have evolved into a nationwide campaign demanding Rajoelina’s resignation, accusing him of corruption and authoritarianism.
Tensions escalated dramatically when soldiers from the elite CAPSAT unit, once instrumental in Rajoelina’s own rise to power in 2009, marched alongside protesters, chanting solidarity slogans and refusing orders to fire on civilians.
“Let us join forces and refuse to be paid to shoot our brothers and sisters,” they declared in a video circulated on social media.
Local media footage showed troops escorting protesters into the square, which had been under tight security for weeks. The Defence Minister, General Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo, urged calm and called for dialogue, warning that the army must remain “the nation’s last line of defence.”
At least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured since the demonstrations began, according to the United Nations, which has urged Malagasy authorities to desist from “unnecessary force” and respect the right to peaceful assembly.
The unrest marks the most serious challenge yet to Rajoelina’s 15-year dominance of Malagasy politics. His warning of an “illegal power grab” has heightened fears of another military intervention in a nation long haunted by coups and fragile democracy.
The coming days could determine whether Madagascar’s army acts as mediator—or kingmaker.
