Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has accused members of the military of attempting to seize power “illegally and by force,” after an elite army unit joined Gen Z protesters calling for his resignation.

“In view of the extreme gravity of this situation, the President of the Republic … strongly condemns this attempt at destabilization and calls upon all forces of the nation to unite in defence of constitutional order and national sovereignty,” the presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement did not name those behind what it described as an attempted coup. However, members of the elite CAPSAT military unit, the same group that helped install Rajoelina in 2009, announced that they had taken control of the armed forces after three weeks of deadly demonstrations.

“From now on, all orders of the Malagasy army – whether land, air or [naval] – will originate from CAPSAT headquarters,” officers said in a video message on Saturday.

It remains unclear whether other branches of the military will follow suit.

The protests, led by a youth movement known as Gen Z Madagascar, have plunged the country into its most serious political crisis in years. Demonstrations began in late September over water and electricity shortages but have grown into nationwide rallies against corruption and economic hardship.

Addressing protesters from an armored vehicle, Colonel Michael Randrianirina of the CAPSAT unit said, “Do we call this a coup? I don’t know yet.”

The officers also announced that General Demosthene Pikulas had been appointed as head of the army, a position that became vacant after its former occupant was named minister of the armed forces last week. It was unclear if the appointment had any official standing.

On Saturday, soldiers clashed with gendarmes at a barracks before driving into the capital, Antananarivo, to join demonstrators demanding Rajoelina’s resignation.

Since protests began on September 25, at least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured, according to the United Nations.

The Gen Z movement has adopted a pirate skull-and-crossbones symbol inspired by the Japanese comic series One Piece. Similar to youth-led uprisings in Kenya, Nepal and Bangladesh, the protesters say they want to “build a free, egalitarian and united society” by dismantling entrenched corruption and privilege.

Their website reads, “They didn’t want to hear us in the streets. Today, thanks to digital technology and the voice of Generation Z, we will make our voices heard at the table of power on the opposition side.”

Rajoelina, 51, first rose to prominence in 2009 after leading protests that toppled then-president Marc Ravalomanana. He later won presidential elections in 2018 and 2023, though the most recent vote was boycotted by opposition parties.

Prime Minister Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo said on state television that the government was “fully ready to listen and engage in dialogue with all factions – youth, unions or the military.”

Rajoelina dissolved his government last week in a bid to calm tensions, but the move has done little to ease public anger.

Madagascar’s army chief, General Jocelyn Rakotoson, has since urged citizens to “assist the security forces in restoring order through dialogue.”

With soldiers now divided and protests spreading, Rajoelina faces the most serious challenge yet to his presidency and possibly, to Madagascar’s fragile democracy.