Is there a coup in Madagascar? What to know as president flees country amid protests
Madagascan president flees after military join anti-government protests
- Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina was due to address the nation following an apparent coup attempt by the elite CAPSAT military unit, which has publicly demanded his resignation.
- The crisis intensified when CAPSAT soldiers joined anti-government protesters in Antananarivo on Saturday, with the unit subsequently claiming control of all armed forces.
- Rajoelina's current whereabouts remain unknown, amid reports he may have fled the country, though France has denied any military involvement.
- CAPSAT, instrumental in Rajoelina's 2009 rise to power, appointed a new head of the armed forces but denied their actions constituted a coup, stating it was up to the Madagascan people to decide.
- This unrest follows three weeks of deadly anti-government protests, initially over utility outages and led by "Gen Z Madagascar," which expanded to include wider grievances such as poverty and corruption.