Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina fled the country on Monday after an elite army unit turned on his government following weeks of youth-led street protests, in what the president has called an attempted coup.
The revolt accelerated over the weekend when soldiers from CAPSAT — a crack unit that has long played kingmaker in Malagasy politics — publicly sided with demonstrators and urged Rajoelina to step down, toppling the army chief and fracturing the security services, according to Al Jazeera. Rajoelina’s whereabouts were unclear Monday after he missed a planned address to the nation; multiple outlets reported he departed on a French military aircraft. (RELATED: US Diplomat Found Dead In Home In Madagascar, Suspect In Custody)
“We responded to the people’s call,” CAPSAT commander Col. Michael Randrianirina told reporters after his troops joined the crowds, the outlet reported.
#Madagascar🇲🇬: Le colonel Randrianirina Michaël, un ex-commandant du bataillon d’infanterie de Toliara, appelé Tuléar en français, la plus grande ville du Sud de Madagascar.
C’est lui qui a tourné la lutte pour aider le peuple Malgache.
Il a le soutien de l’armée.
Nouvelles… pic.twitter.com/Ifjlsx2j95— Nouvelles Afrique (@AfriquesN) October 11, 2025
Protests swelled in late September over grinding blackouts, water shortages and corruption allegations, morphing into daily rallies led by a Gen-Z movement demanding Rajoelina’s resignation, according to the outlet. The United Nations has said at least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured during clashes; the government disputes those figures.
Rajoelina’s office warned Sunday that “an attempt to seize power illegally and by force” was under way as CAPSAT urged other forces to stand down rather than fire on civilians, the outlet reported. The president — who also holds French citizenship and returned to power in a contested 2023 vote — has not appeared in public since the mutiny.
Opposition figures celebrated in Antananarivo’s streets Monday as soldiers rode alongside demonstrators on armored vehicles. The U.S. and African Union urged restraint amid the power struggle, which risks plunging the Indian Ocean nation deeper into crisis.
