A group of Madagascar soldiers has urged colleagues to defy orders to shoot protesters as tensions rise near the capital amid growing unrest.
A group of Madagascar soldiers on Saturday urged their colleagues to reject orders to shoot at protesters as demonstrations spread across the capital, Antananarivo.
“Let us join forces, military, gendarmes and police, and refuse to be paid to shoot our friends, our brothers and our sisters,” Soldiers stationed at a large military base in Soanierana district said in a video released Saturday morning. They further urged troops in other camps to “refuse orders to shoot your friends,” adding, “Close the gates and await our instructions. 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.”
It remains unclear how many soldiers have joined the call. The United Nations had earlier urged Malagasy authorities to avoid excessive force after clashes left several injured.
Defence Minister General Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo appealed for calm, saying, “We call on our brothers who disagree with us to prioritise dialogue. The Malagasy army remains a mediator and constitutes the nation’s last line of defence.”
The same Soanierana base previously led a 2009 mutiny that brought President Andry Rajoelina to power.