A renegade army unit joins protestors on Saturday in the capital, Antananarivo./FILEThe renegade army unit siding with anti-government protesters installed a new military chief as President Andry Rajoelina denounced an “attempt to seize power illegally”.
General Demosthene Pikulas was installed on Sunday by the Army Personnel Administration Centre (CAPSAT) during a ceremony at the military headquarters attended by Armed Forces Minister Manantsoa Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo.
“I give him my blessing,” the minister said of Pikulas at the ceremony in Antananarivo in a report by Al Jazeera.
General Demosthene Pikulas./FILE
Early on Sunday, the contingent claimed in a video statement that “from now on, all orders of the Malagasy army—whether land, air, or [naval] – will originate from CAPSAT headquarters.”
AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, on Sunday, said in a statement that he is following with deep concern the recent political and security developments in the Republic of Madagascar, marked by movements within the army and popular demonstrations in Antananarivo.
“The Chairperson of the Commission welcomes the Government’s renewed commitment to dialogue and urges all Malagasy stakeholders, both civilian and military, to exercise calm and restraint, and to prioritize peaceful and consensual solutions to the current situation. He calls for the full respect of the fundamental rights and freedoms of all citizens.”
The Chairperson the statement added, recalls the principles enshrined in the Lomé Declaration of 2000 and in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
“He calls upon all Malagasy parties to demonstrate responsibility and patriotism, and to work towards the preservation of unity, stability, and peace in the country, in full respect of the Constitution and established institutional frameworks.”
It concluded; “The Chairperson reaffirms the solidarity of the African Union with the people and Government of Madagascar in these difficult times, and expresses the readiness of the continental organization to support national and regional efforts aimed at a rapid return to institutional normalcy, stability, and the consolidation of peace.”
The military declaration came hours after the presidency accused unnamed forces of attempting to overthrow Rajoelina. In a statement, the presidency said “an attempted illegal and forcible seizure of power” was under way in the African nation, without providing details.
After the army ceremony in the capital, Pikulas admitted to journalists that events in Madagascar over the past few days had been “unpredictable”.
“So the army has a responsibility to restore calm and peace throughout Madagascar,” he said.
Asked about calls for Rajoelina to resign, he said he refused to “discuss politics within a military facility”.
On Saturday, military personnel from CAPSAT had urged their comrades to stop following orders and instead back the youth-led uprising.
“We have become bootlickers,” some members of the unit said in a video posted on social media. “We have chosen to submit and execute orders, even illegal ones, instead of protecting the population and their property.”
“Do not obey orders from your superiors. Point your weapons at those who order you to fire on your comrades in arms because they will not take care of our families if we die,” they said.
CAPSAT Colonel Michael Randrianirina said his unit’s decision to join the protesters did not amount to a coup. “We answered the people’s calls, but it wasn’t a coup d’etat,” he told reporters.
Prime Minister Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo, a military general appointed after Rajoelina dismissed his predecessor under pressure from demonstrators, said the government was “fully ready to listen and engage in dialogue with all factions – youth, unions or the military”.
Separately, the country’s Senate announced in a statement that Senate President General Richard Ravalomanana – a close ally of Rajoelina’s – had been removed from office, citing “the current political situation in Madagascar and in response to the Malagasy people’s aspirations for stability, justice, and transparent governance.”
