Some Madagascar soldiers have joined protesters in defiance of orders to open fire, as anti-government demonstrations grow across the country.
Groups of Madagascar soldiers joined thousands of protesters in Antananarivo on Saturday after declaring they would refuse orders to shoot demonstrators.
AFP correspondents said the soldiers were welcomed with cheers near Lake Anosy, where crowds chanted “Thank you!” and waved national flags. The youth-led protests, which began on September 25 over power and water shortages, have evolved into a broader anti-government movement demanding President Andry Rajoelina’s resignation.
In a viral video, soldiers from the Soanierana barracks urged security forces to “refuse orders to shoot your friends.” The newly appointed Armed Forces Minister, General Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo, appealed for calm, saying, “The Malagasy army remains a mediator and constitutes the nation’s last line of defence.”
The United Nations condemned police violence after at least 22 people were reportedly killed since protests began. Rajoelina has disputed the toll, insisting the deaths were caused by “looters and vandals.”