ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar
President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina on Sunday said an "attempt to seize power illegally and by force" was under way, a day after a contingent of soldiers joined thousands of anti-government protesters in the capital.
Rajoelina's statement came as the CAPSAT contingent of administrative and technical officers said it was taking control of the army, after earlier repudiating the violent crackdown on youth-led protests that have rocked the Indian Ocean island for more than two weeks.
"From now on, all orders of the Malagasy army – whether land, air or the navy – will originate from CAPSAT headquarters," the officers claimed in a video statement.
There was no immediate response from other units or the military command.
Soldiers from the unit clashed with gendarmes outside a barracks on Saturday and rode into the city on army vehicles to join the demonstrators on the symbolic Place du 13 Mai in front of Antananarivo's city hall, where they were welcomed with cheers and calls for Rajoelina to resign.
The embattled president released a statement Sunday saying "an attempt to seize power illegally and by force, contrary to the Constitution and to democratic principles, is currently under way".
"Dialogue is the only way forward and the only solution to the crisis currently facing the country," the statement added, calling for "unity".
Saturday's demonstration in the capital Antananarivo was one of the biggest since the protest movement erupted on September 25, sparked by anger over power and water shortages.
As it sided with protesters, the CAPSAT unit said it would "refuse orders to shoot" and criticised the gendarmerie, who have been accused of using heavy-handed tactics and causing several deaths.
"Because they are non-commissioned officers, CAPSAT officers say they are part of the population and experience the same difficulties with power and water cuts," said FRANCE 24's correspondent Gaëlle Borgia.
Officers of the gendarmerie said in a video statement Sunday that they recognised "faults and excesses during our interventions", calling for "fraternity" between the army and the gendarmes.
"We are here to protect, not to terrorise," they said, adding that "from now on, all orders will come solely" from the gendarmerie's headquarters.
The government on Sunday night assured that Rajoelina remained "in the country" and was managing national affairs, while the newly appointed prime minister said the government was "standing strong" and "ready to collaborate and listen".
The United Nations has said that at least 22 people were killed in the first days of the protests that started on September 25, some killed by security forces and others in violence sparked by criminal gangs and looters in the wake of the demonstrations.
Rajoelina has disputed the toll, saying last week there were "12 confirmed deaths and all of these individuals were looters and vandals".
According to local media, the emergency services reported another two dead and 26 injured on Saturday. The CAPSAT unit said a soldier was also shot by gendarmes and died.
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