A group of soldiers from a military base near Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, has called on fellow troops and security forces to reject any orders to shoot at protesters. The message, shared in a video on Saturday morning, came as thousands of demonstrators marched in the city.
“Let us unite — soldiers, gendarmes, and police — and refuse to be paid to shoot our friends, our brothers, and our sisters,” the soldiers from the Soanierana base said in the video. They urged colleagues across the country to “refuse orders to shoot” and “close the gates” of their camps until further notice.
The soldiers also warned others not to follow commands from superiors who might order violence against protesters, adding, “Those who give such orders will not care for our families if we die.”
It remains unclear how many soldiers have joined this appeal. The Soanierana base has historical significance — it was the same site where a 2009 mutiny helped bring current President Andry Rajoelina to power.
Responding to the situation, the newly appointed Minister of the Armed Forces, General Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo, called for restraint. “We ask our brothers who disagree to prioritize dialogue,” he said during a press conference. “The Malagasy army remains a mediator and the last line of defense for the nation.”
The United Nations had earlier urged Madagascar’s authorities to avoid using excessive force against demonstrators, after several protesters were injured during clashes with police on Thursday.
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