Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina is set to address the nation on Monday evening, his office announced, following reports that officers supporting youth-led protests have seized control of the country’s paramilitary gendarmerie. The statement, posted on the presidency’s official Facebook page, comes amid the most serious challenge to his leadership since his re-election in 2023.
The president’s whereabouts remain unclear, even though he said he was still in the country. But he warned on Sunday of what he described as an “attempted power grab” after elements of the military began siding with demonstrators demanding political change. The planned address is expected to clarify his response to the deepening crisis.
A group of officers who declared support for the protests formally assumed control of the gendarmerie headquarters in Antananarivo on Monday, in the presence of senior government and military officials. General Nonos Mbina Mamelison was appointed as the new head of the force, replacing General Jean Herbert Rakotomalala. This shows how Rajoelina is losing support drastically and could impact his next course of action.
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“Exceptional situation, exceptional measures. All orders come from the gendarmerie command,” Mamelison told reporters during the ceremony, which was attended by the defense minister, General Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo, and army chief General Demosthene Pikulas.
The shift in command followed the defection of the CAPSAT elite unit, a powerful faction within the armed forces that helped Rajoelina seize power during a 2009 coup. On Sunday, CAPSAT officers announced they were taking charge of national security operations and urged other soldiers to disobey government orders.
The ongoing protests, which began on September 25 was initially just about the water shortages and economic hardship experienced in the country. But it has quickly grown into a broader anti-government movement even after the president made effort to get back their support by terminating the appointments of service holders involved. The demonstrators accuse the administration of mismanagement, corruption, and worsening living conditions.
Rajoelina’s upcoming speech is expected to outline whether his government will pursue negotiations with military factions or take stronger measures to restore control or resign like the demonstrators want him to. The demonstrators and the entire country are waiting for his statement.
