Madagascar's prime minister called for calm on Saturday after an elite group of soldiers joined thousands of protesters against President Andry Rajoelina in the capital, Antananarivo. Demonstrators marched alongside soldiers from the Capsat unit, who drove armoured vehicles from their base in Soanierana, some waving Madagascar flags.
A Capsat leader, Lylison René de Rolland, addressed cheering crowds in front of city hall in 13 May Square, which protesters had previously been prevented from reaching. The Capsat unit brought Rajoelina to power in a 2009 coup.
Speaking on state television, Prime Minister Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo said the government was “fully ready to listen and engage in dialogue with all factions – youth, unions or the military”. Rajoelina appointed Zafisambo and a new defence minister after dissolving the previous government last week in response to protests.
The youth-led protests began on 25 September over water and electricity cuts but quickly widened into calls for a complete overhaul of the political system. Earlier on Saturday, police fired stun grenades and teargas to try to disperse protesters. Defence Minister General Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo called on troops to “remain calm” and prioritise dialogue.
In a video posted before leaving their barracks, a Capsat leader called on other military units to “refuse orders to shoot your friends”. He urged soldiers at the airport to prevent aircraft from taking off and to disobey superiors who order them to fire on comrades. An activist expressed concern about Capsat's involvement due to their role in the 2009 coup, calling politicians who addressed the crowd “opportunists”.
