A mutinied army unit in Madagascar announced on Sunday that it had taken control of the country’s military, while president Rajoelina responded by saying that “an attempt to seize power illegally and by force” was underway and urged dialogue and unity as the only way forward. The group, known as the CAPSAT contingent, made up of administrative and technical officers, joined thousands of protesters in the capital Antananarivo on Saturday, marking a major turn in more than two weeks of anti-government demonstrations. The CAPSAT officers had earlier refused to follow orders to open fire on demonstrators and criticised the gendarmerie for using excessive force, which has led to several deaths. “From now on, all orders of the Malagasy army — land, air or naval will originate from CAPSAT h

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