Mutiny in Madagascar: Army unit claims control of military; president says coup under way

A mutinied service portion successful Madagascar announced connected Sunday that it had taken power of the country’s military, portion president Rajoelina responded by saying that “an effort to prehend powerfulness illegally and by force” was underway and urged dialog and unity arsenic the lone mode forward.

The group, known arsenic the CAPSAT contingent, made up of administrative and method officers, joined thousands of protesters successful the superior Antananarivo connected Saturday, marking a large crook successful much than 2 weeks of anti-government demonstrations. The CAPSAT officers had earlier refused to travel orders to unfastened occurrence connected demonstrators and criticised the gendarmerie for utilizing excessive force, which has led to respective deaths.

“From present on, each orders of the Malagasy service — land, aerial oregon naval volition originate from CAPSAT headquarters,” the mutinied officers said successful a video statement.The president released a connection Sunday saying "an effort to prehend powerfulness illegally and by force, contrary to the Constitution and to antiauthoritarian principles, is presently underway." "Dialogue is the lone mode guardant and the lone solution to the situation presently facing the country," helium added.

On Saturday, soldiers from the CAPSAT portion clashed with gendarmes extracurricular a barracks earlier driving into the metropolis to articulation cheering protesters demanding the president’s resignation. The gendarmerie aboriginal admitted to “faults and excesses” during their operations and called for practice betwixt information forces.Also read: Madagascar president fires authorities aft Gen Z protests The protests, which began connected September 25, were triggered by wide choler implicit energy and h2o shortages. The United Nations has reported astatine slightest 22 deaths since the unrest began, though Rajoelina has disputed the figures, saying lone 12 radical died and each were progressive successful looting. The Soanierana subject basal wherever the CAPSAT portion is based, besides led a mutiny successful 2009 that helped bring Rajoelina to power.