"Some groups of Madagascan soldiers have defied orders and joined thousands of antigovernment protesters assembled in the capital, Antananarivo, as demonstrations against President Andry Rajoelina's rule gain momentum. The youth-led protesters entered the capital's May 13 Square on Saturday for the first time in one of the biggest gatherings since a protest movement inspired by what has become known as the Gen Z protests in Kenya and Nepal erupted on the Indian Ocean island on September 25."
"At a meeting at an army barracks on the outskirts of the city earlier, soldiers in the elite CAPSAT unit, which played a pivotal role in Rajoelina's rise in 2009, issued a rare public call for solidarity as demonstrators demanded the president's resignation. Let us join forces, military, gendarmes and police, and refuse to be paid to shoot our friends, our brothers and our sisters, the soldiers at the base in the Soanierana district said in a video posted on social media."
"They called on soldiers at the airport to prevent all aircraft from taking off and those in other camps to refuse orders to shoot your friends. Close the gates, and await our instructions, they said. Do not obey orders from your superiors. Point your weapons at those who order you to fire on your comrades in arms because they will not take care of our families if we die."
Thousands of youth-led protesters entered Antananarivo's May 13 Square for the first time since protests began on September 25, inspired by Gen Z movements in Kenya and Nepal. Police used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse demonstrators, after which some soldiers arrived and were greeted with cheers. Members of the elite CAPSAT unit publicly urged solidarity, calling on security forces to refuse orders to shoot protesters, to prevent flights from taking off, and to close gates while awaiting instructions. Some soldiers escorted protesters into the square. The movement grew amid anger over power and water shortages and demands for the president's resignation.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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