Overview

• An elite CAPSAT contingent said all army orders now come from its headquarters and, according to reports, installed Gen. Démosthène Pikulas as armed forces chief after escorting protesters onto Antananarivo’s Place du 13‑Mai.
• The presidency condemned an illegal attempt to seize power; President Andry Rajoelina’s whereabouts remain unclear and his TV address was repeatedly pushed back after armed soldiers arrived at state broadcaster TVM.
• The UN reports at least 22 dead and more than 100 injured since Sept. 25, while gendarmerie officers acknowledged “faults and excesses” in crowd control and called for fraternity with the army.
• International fallout grew as Air France halted Paris–Antananarivo flights, the U.S. Embassy urged Americans to shelter in place, and the African Union appealed for restraint.
• The Gen Z-led uprising that began over water and power cuts has broadened into calls for Rajoelina’s resignation, with large rallies and signs of a fracturing ruling bloc, including the Senate president’s ouster and a key businessman’s flight to Mauritius.