Madagascar President Warns of Coup Attempt After Military Unit Defects

Madagascar's government has announced an attempted seizure of power is currently unfolding, marking a serious escalation in the nation's political crisis. President Andry Rajoelina's office issued a statement Sunday describing what it characterized as an unconstitutional attempt to overthrow the government, coming just one day after military defections to the opposition protest movement.

The presidential statement condemned what it called "an attempt to seize power at this time in the territory of the Republic, in complete violation of the Constitution and democratic principles." The crisis deepened when troops from the Army Personnel Administration Center (CAPSAT), a unit instrumental in Rajoelina's own rise to power through a 2009 coup, declared support for anti-government demonstrations in a video statement Saturday.

In a dramatic development, CAPSAT officers announced they would assume control of Madagascar's armed forces. "From now on, all orders of the Malagasy army – whether land, air or the navy – will originate from CAPSAT headquarters," they declared in a video message. The rebel soldiers justified their actions by citing the country's "collapse of basic services" and urged security forces to avoid following "unlawful orders."

The African Union Commission expressed deep concern about the political and security developments in the Indian Ocean island nation. AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for all parties to demonstrate responsibility and patriotism while preserving constitutional order. The current protests against Rajoelina's administration, led largely by youth demonstrators, began three weeks ago initially focusing on water and electricity shortages before evolving into broader anti-government movements.