Groups of soldiers joined protesters this Saturday in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, immersed in massive protests against water and electricity cuts and against bad governance for more than two weeks, which have left at least 22 dead.
As EFE was able to verify, Soldiers riding tanks joined thousands of protesters and harangued them in the Lake Anosy area, while the crowd shouted “Thank you!” and the Police fired tear gas to disperse it.
Around the World Newsletter
LOOK: At least 22 dead in protests against electricity and water cuts in Madagascar
These scenes occurred after a military unit showed its solidarity with the mass mobilizations this Saturday. that have occurred in the country since last September 25 despite the strong repression and called on the Army to “not obey orders to shoot” against the population.
“We call on the security forces not to obey orders that go against the protection of the Malagasy people”soldiers from a large military base located in Soanierana, on the outskirts of Antananarivo, said in a video released.
Following the dissemination of the video, the chief of staff of the Malagasy Army, General Jocelyn Rakotosonappeared publicly to ask the troops to remain calm.
“We are going through a difficult time (…) First of all, I ask the Malagasy population to stop the destruction of individual and collective property. Likewise, to avoid any exchange of fire, it is preferable that the Army troops return to their camps”he declared, to which some responded with boos. military present in the room.
Although they initially emerged to protest against the constant water and electricity cuts, the mobilizations, promoted by young people from the generation Zhave become anti-government and They are now demanding the resignation of the country’s president, Andry Rajoelina.
So, The organizers rejected this Wednesday the national dialogue proposed by the head of stateafter dissolving the Government last week and appointing Major General Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo as prime minister.
Despite these measures and the strong repression of the security forces, with ammunition and tear gas, The marches have not stopped and at least 22 people have died and a hundred have been injured, according to the United Nations.
In statements to the press this Friday, the new prime minister condemned “any excess and any use of violence against the Malagasy population” and stressed that “The State does not tolerate excesses at all.”
Inspired by recent youth mobilizations in countries such as Kenya and Nepal, these protests are the worst the Indian Ocean island has experienced in years and the biggest challenge it faces. Rajoelina since his re-election in 2023.
The president, a 51-year-old former record player, first came to power in a coup d’état in 2009. but he resigned in 2014 as leader of the transitional authority.
He returned to the Presidency after winning the 2018 elections and achieved a second term at the polls in the December 2023 elections, which his rivals denounced as plagued by irregularities.
