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| Madagascar: President denounces an 'attempted coup' after elite soldiers joined deadly youth-led protests demanding his resignation | |
| 2025-10-13 | |
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[EuroNews] On Sunday, the minister of armed forces in Madagascar acknowledged an officer selected by a military group supporting demonstrators calling for President Andry Rajoelina to resign as the country's new army chief. Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, said Sunday that an attempted coup was underway in the Indian Ocean country after an elite army unit known as CAPSAT claimed control of the military, calling for the president to step down following anti-government protests. The statement from Rajoelina’s office said he "wishes to inform the nation and the international community that an attempt to seize power illegally and by force" has been "initiated." "In view of the extreme gravity of this situation, the president’s office strongly condemns this attempt at destabilisation and calls upon all forces of the nation to unite in defence of constitutional order and national sovereignty." Rajoelina’s office offered no details on who was behind the attempt, and no signs of violence were immediately visible on the streets on Sunday. The situation comes after three weeks of the island nation's most significant protests, and the elite CAPSAT unit claimed to have taken charge of the military. On Sunday, the minister of armed forces in Madagascar acknowledged an officer selected by a military group supporting demonstrators calling for President Andry Rajoelina to resign as the country's new army chief. Armed Forces Minister Manantsoa Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo attended the ceremony at army headquarters, where General Demosthene Pikulas was appointed Chief of the Army Staff. AT LEAST 22 DEAD IN WEEKSLONG YOUTH PROTESTS The protests are led by a group calling itself "Gen Z Madagascar," and the United Nations says the demonstrations have left at least 22 people dead and dozens injured. The government has disputed this number. On Saturday, the CAPSAT forces joined the weeks-long protests, which reports claim to be among the largest since the unrest began on 25 September. | |
| Posted by:Fred |