A rogue army unit in Madagascar has sided with youth-led anti-government protesters, installing a new military chief as President Andry Rajoelina denounced what he called an “attempt to seize power illegally.”

General Demosthene Pikulas was appointed by the Army Personnel Administration Centre (CAPSAT) on Sunday in a ceremony attended by the Armed Forces Minister. CAPSAT, an elite unit involved in a 2009 coup that brought Rajoelina to power, declared that it now controls all orders of the Malagasy military. The move came after the presidency accused unspecified forces of trying to overthrow the government.

CAPSAT members urged fellow soldiers to refuse orders to act against protesters, stressing their duty to protect the population. While officials say the intervention does not constitute a coup, it marks a dramatic escalation in Madagascar’s ongoing unrest.

Protests, which began in late September over chronic water and electricity shortages, have intensified into the gravest threat to Rajoelina since his disputed re-election in 2023. Security forces have clashed repeatedly with demonstrators, and the UN reports at least 22 deaths and over 100 injuries.

Thousands of protesters, supported by CAPSAT troops, marched into May 13 Square in Antananarivo, demanding Rajoelina resign, apologise, and dissolve the Senate and electoral commission. The youth-led movement, Gen Z Madagascar, has rejected government dialogue offers, citing ongoing repression.

The African Union expressed “deep concern” and urged calm, while Air France-KLM temporarily suspended flights to Antananarivo due to the security situation.