Madagascar On Edge, Military Hints At Coup Amid Rising Protests Against President Rajoelina

Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina will address the nation on Monday, his office said, after he lost the support of a key army unit that joined thousands of youths protesting against corruption and poverty and demanding his resignation.

Demonstrations in the former French colony erupted on September 25 over water and power shortages but have quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances, including bad governance and lack of basic services.

Rajoelina warned on Sunday of an attempt to seize power in the island nation off the coast of Southern Africa after losing the support of CAPSAT, an elite unit which had helped him seize power in a 2009 coup, following more than two weeks of Gen Z protests.