The protests was called for by the youths following power cuts, water shortages, poverty, rising unemployment and heavy corruption. The “youth” protests have lasted two weeks with about 23 dead and 100 injured.
Called to quell the protests, an elite unit of the military have decided to side with the protesters.
Madagascar’s armed forces minister on Sunday recognised as the new head of the army an officer chosen by a military contingent siding with protesters who are demanding the departure of President Andry Rajoelina.
General Demosthene Pikulas was installed as Chief of the Army Staff during a ceremony at the army headquarters attended by Armed Forces Minister Manantsoa Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo.
Pikulas was chosen by the mutinying CAPSAT unit, which on Saturday joined the demonstrators.
“I give him my blessing,” the minister said.
The move marks a dramatic escalation in anti-government unrest.
While security forces have largely avoided large-scale crackdowns, Saturday’s military defection signals a significant escalation, with analysts warning it could deepen divisions within the army and further destabilise the country.
https://www.trtworld.com/article/dc33fdf7c92d
The troops from the elite CAPSAT unit that helped President Andry Rajoelina (then 34yo) seize power in a 2009 coup urged fellow soldiers to disobey orders and back the youth-led protests, which began on September 25 and are posing the most serious challenge to Rajoelina’s rule since his reelection in 2023.
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