A Madagascar army unit declared Sunday that it was taking control of all the country's military forces as President Andry Rajoelina said an "attempt to seize power illegally" was under way.

Soldiers from the CAPSAT contingent also joined thousands of people in the capital to remember lives lost in more than two weeks of anti-government demonstrations that erupted on September 25.

The unit, which played a major role in a 2009 coup that brought Rajoelina to power, on Saturday declared it would "refuse orders to shoot" on the demonstrators.

Soldiers then entered the city centre to meet several thousand protesters, who welcomed them with jubilation and praise.

On Sunday morning they claimed in a video statement that "from now on, all orders of the Malagasy army -- whether land, air or the

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