Troops from elite Capsat unit align with protests against Madagascar's head of state
A multitude of protesters opposing the nation's president were accompanied on the avenues of the main city on Saturday by military personnel from an premier army division, who that morning said they would not open fire on activists.
Advancing Together with Armored Vehicles
Activists marched alongside soldiers from the Capsat unit, who operated military cars, some brandishing Madagascar flags, from their headquarters in Soanierana in the south of Antananarivo.
Addressing the Gathering
A Capsat leader, Lylison Renรฉ de Rolland, then spoke to the cheering masses in front of the municipal building in 13 May Square, which activists had before been blocked from accessing. Capsat military personnel brought the incumbent head of state, Andry Rajoelina, to power in a coup in 2009.
Escalating Strain on the Head of State
The troops' participation escalated tension on Rajoelina, who demonstrators have been insisting on step aside. The young people-led rallies broke out on 25 September, at first over utility shortages. However, they quickly broadened into calls for a complete restructuring of the political system, with the younger generation protesters not placated by Rajoelina dismissing his government last week.
Police Response
Earlier in the day, security forces fired disorientation devices and teargas to try to break up the protesters. The recently appointed defense minister also called on soldiers to "keep peaceful", at a press conference on Saturday.
"We appeal to our colleagues who are against us to focus on communication," military minister Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo stated. "The Malagasy army continues to be a mediator and constitutes the state's ultimate protection."
Army Opposition
However, a Capsat leader supported by a significant number of soldiers urged other army divisions to "reject directives to attack your comrades", in a recording that was published on online platforms before they departed from their headquarters.
"We should unite, army, security forces and officers, and reject payment to attack our friends, our brothers and our compatriots," he said, also appealing to military personnel at the aviation hub to "prevent all aircraft from departing".
"Shut the entrances and expect our orders," he said. "Do not obey orders from your superiors. Direct your weapons at those who instruct you to attack your comrades-in-arms, because they will not take care of our families if we are killed."
Leader's Inactivity
No updates has been posted on the head of state's online profiles since Friday night, when he was seen meeting the heads of 10 of the state's higher education institutions to discuss bettering the student experience.
Demonstrator Worries
An demonstrator who attended that day's protests said she was apprehensive about the role of Capsat, due to their role in the 2009 coup that installed Rajoelina to leadership. She also condemned politicians who made short speeches to the masses in front of the town hall as "self-serving individuals".
"That's why I'm not feeling joyful at all, because all of those individuals involved in this 'event' are all concerning," commented the protester, who declined to give her name for fear for her security.
Gen Z Outlook
A member of the young activists, a decentralized collective of young people that has supported the arrangement of the rallies, also voiced concerns about what would happen next. "We are delighted, but many developments are occurring [and] we don't want another dishonest individual to take the power here, so we will employ all means to have the right to elect who to put up there," he stated.
