An attempted coup is under way in the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, the country’s president says, a day after members of an elite army unit were seen joining youth-led protests against the government.

Madagascar has been shaken by three weeks of the most significant unrest in years in the nation.

The protests are led by a group calling itself “Gen Z Madagascar” and the United Nations says the demonstrations have left 22 people dead and dozens injured. The government has disputed this number.

A statement from President Andry Rajoelina’s office said it “wishes to inform the nation and the international community that an attempt to seize power illegally and by force” has been “initiated”.

“In view of the extreme gravity of this situation, the president of the republic … strongly condemns this attempt at destabilisation and calls upon all forces of the nation to unite in defence of constitutional order and national sovereignty,” Rajoelina’s office said on Sunday.

The statement did not immediately identify who was attempting to overthrow the government, but members of the elite CAPSAT military unit joined youth-led protests against Rajoelina on Saturday.

The protests against service failures and alleged government corruption and nepotism first erupted on since Sept. 25.

Rajoelina first came to prominence as the transitional leader of Madagascar following a 2009 coup. He was first elected president in 2018 and was reelected for a second term in 2023.