Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina on Sunday declared that an attempted coup was underway, according to a statement released by the presidential office. Rajoelina remains in an undisclosed location as unconfirmed reports from opposition officials and military sources indicate that he fled the country on a French military aircraft.

National tensions escalated on Saturday after troops from CAPSAT, the same unit that helped Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup , urged fellow soldiers to disobey orders and support youth-led protests that began on September 25. The protests, organized by “Gen Z Madagascar,” initially focused on utility failures, but expanded to included broader grievances including corruption, rights abuses , and governance failures. The United Nations reports that

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