Madagascar military backs protests, installs new army chief amid anti-government uprising
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Madagascar's army has repeatedly intervened in power struggles, most notably in the 2009 coup that brought President Andry Rajoelina to power.
A military unit backing anti-government demonstrators in Madagascar on Sunday reportedly installed General Demosthene Pikulas as the new chief of the Army Staff.
Multiple reports indicate that Pikulas, chosen by the mutinying CAPSAT unit that joined youth-led protests on Saturday, was formally installed during a ceremony at the army headquarters attended by Armed Forces Minister Manantsoa Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo.
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"I give him my blessing," Rakotoarivelo said of Pikulas.
Earlier on Sunday, the CAPSAT unit declared in a video that it would now issue all orders for Madagascar's army, including land, air, and naval forces.
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Madagascar's army has repeatedly intervened in power struggles, most notably in the 2009 coup that brought President Andry Rajoelina to power.
The announcement came after the presidency accused unspecified forces of attempting to overthrow the government.
"So the army has a responsibility to restore calm and peace throughout Madagascar," Pikulas said after the ceremony. When asked if he had called for Rajoelina to resign, he added that he refused to "discuss politics within a military facility."
Side with demonstrators
The CAPSAT unit has previously encouraged soldiers to defy orders and side with demonstrators.
"We have become boot lickers... We have chosen to submit and execute orders, even illegal ones, instead of protecting the population and their property," a CAPSAT member said. "Do not obey orders from your superiors. Point your weapons at those who order you to fire on your comrades in arms because they will not take care of our families if we die."
However, CAPSAT Colonel Michael Randrianirina insisted that their actions did not constitute a coup.
"We answered the people's calls, but it wasn't a coup d'état," he told reporters.
Residents of the capital, Antananarivo, have reportedly expressed relief at the announcement.
The youth-led demonstrations, inspired by similar Gen Z protests in Kenya and Nepal, first erupted on September 25 over power and water shortages but quickly evolved into a broader anti-government campaign demanding Rajoelina's resignation.
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