An attempted coup is underway in Madagascar, President Andry Rajoelina said Sunday, a day after members of an elite army unit were seen joining youth-led protests against his government.

The Indian Ocean Island nation has been gripped by three weeks of its most serious unrest in years, with demonstrations organized by a group calling itself “Gen Z Madagascar.” The United Nations said 22 people have been killed and dozens injured, though the government disputes that figure.

A statement from 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 destabilization and calls upon all forces of the nation to unite in defense of constitutional order and national sovereignty,” it said.

While the statement did not specify who was behind the attempt, members of the elite CAPSAT military unit reportedly joined the protesters on Saturday.

The demonstrations, driven by anger over service failures and allegations of corruption and nepotism, began on Sept. 25.

Rajoelina, who first rose to prominence as Madagascar’s transitional leader following a 2009 coup, was elected president in 2018 and re-elected for a second term in 2023.