In a significant turn on Saturday, protesters in Madagascar entered Antananarivo’s May 13 Square for the first time since last month’s demonstrations began, this time under military escort.

The protests, inspired by Gen Z-led movements in Kenya and Nepal , began on September 25 over water and electricity shortages but have since escalated, posing the most serious challenge to President Andry Rajoelina’s rule since his re-election in 2023.

Earlier on Saturday, some troops from an army unit that helped Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup urged fellow soldiers to disobey orders and back the youth-led protests, local media reported.

The elite CAPSAT unit, which played a pivotal role in Rajoelina’s rise, issued a rare public call for solidarity with demonstrators demanding his resignati

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