Madagascar president warns of military coup attempt amid youth-led protests

Madagascar’s president announced on Sunday that an attempted coup is in progress on the Indian Ocean island nation, a day after members of an elite army unit were seen aligning with youth-led demonstrations against the government.

The country has been gripped by its most intense unrest in years, with three weeks of protests organised by a movement calling itself “Gen Z Madagascar.” According to the United Nations, 22 people have been killed and dozens injured in the violence, though the government disputes those figures.

In a statement, President Andry Rajoelina’s office said it “wishes to inform the nation and the international community that an attempt to seize power illegally and by force” has begun.

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“Given the extreme seriousness of this situation, the President of the Republic strongly condemns this attempt at destabilisation and calls on all forces of the nation to stand together in defence of constitutional order and national sovereignty,” the statement added.

While the president’s office did not specify who was behind the power grab, members of the elite CAPSAT military unit were reported to have joined the anti-government demonstrations on Saturday.

The protests, which erupted on September 25, have been driven by anger over government corruption, nepotism, and failures in public services.

Rajoelina first came to prominence as the transitional leader of Madagascar following a 2009 coup. He was first elected president in 2018 and was reelected for a second term in 2023.

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With inputs from agencies