We're pausing our live coverage of the political crisis unfolding in Madagascar amid fears of a coup attempt.

Here are the key developments:

• President Andry Rajoelina's office says a group of soldiers have threatened to seize state TV
• This has delayed his plan to address the nation, it says
• The presidency has not give clarity on Rajoelina's whereabouts, with reports throughout the day saying he has left the country
• A senior army general says the security forces are working together to maintain order in the island nation
• Thousands of protesters have gathered in the capital to ramp up pressure on the president to resign
• This follows more than two weeks of youth-led protests over high unemployment, the cost of living and corruption

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Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Protesters in Madagascar are waiting for Rajoelina to speak, with one student telling the AFP news agency that he hopes the president "will apologise and genuinely announce his resignation".

"Afterwards, we can consider organising elections and determine who will be suitable to take the leadership role," Finaritra Manitra Andrianamelasoa, 24, added.

Steven Rasolonjanahary,19, said: "We already expect him to offer his apologies to all Malagasy citizens, as we have had many casualties, relatives, who have been injured during the protests."

UN human rights chief Volker Türk previously said at least 22 people were killed and 100 others injured.

Rajoelina disputed the figure, putting the death toll at 12 and "all of these individuals were looters and vandals".

Samuel Lando
BBC Monitoring

We have just had official word that Rajoelina's speech has been postponed, again. The president's office said the address will now take place at 21:30 local time (18:30 GMT) "due to ongoing negotiations".

Earlier, the presidency said soldiers had threatened to seize the headquarters of state TV, and the army's chief of staff was trying to resolve the crisis.

Samuel Lando
BBC Monitoring

Madagascar's embattled President Andry Rajoelina was supposed to address the nation at 20:30 local time (17:30 GMT), after already postponing his speech once.

However, a broadcast of his speech has not yet appeared on the state TV channel or his social media platforms.

State TV is currently airing a soap.

CAPSAT, a powerful army unit, has defied the president's authority over the past few days, contributing to his increased isolation.

But 16 years ago, the unit actually helped Rajoelina seize power. With CAPSAT's might, Rajoelina was able to overthrow then-President Marc Ravalomanana in a coup.

"Sixteen-and-a-half years later, the Malagasy people are being served the same dish," local news outlet Midi-Madagasikara wrote on Monday.

Image source, Reuters

Madagascar's presidency has not given details of the soldiers whom it says have threatened to seize the headquarters of state TV.

Its statement merely said that the army's new chief of staff, Gen Demosthene Pikulas, is at the site, trying to resolve the crisis.

Nor did the presidency answer the question everyone has been asking all day: Where is the president?

There have been numerous reports that Rajoelina has left the country, but there is still no official confirmation - or denial - of this.

Huge crowds have converged on the main square in Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo, to keep up the pressure on President Andry Rajoelina.

Prayers were also held for Safidy Rakooarisoa, whose family says he died during the demonstrations that started on 25 September.

Reuters news agency says family members brought his body to Independence Avenue for prayers:

Image source, Reuters

People raised their hands in solidarity with the family:

Image source, Reuters

A relative of Rakooarisoa was comforted as she wept:

Image source, Reuters

It is unclear how Rakooarisoa died. UN human rights chief Volker Türk previously accused the security forces of using "unnecessary and disproportionate force" to quell the unrest.

He said at least 22 people were killed and 100 others injured.

Rajoelina disputed the figure last week, saying there were 12 confirmed deaths and "all of these individuals were looters and vandals".

Soldiers and security forces in Madagascar's capital joined protesters celebrating Rajoelina's weakened grip on power, AFP reported.

According to the news agency, soldiers from army unit CAPSAT were seen among the crowds on Monday, and so were officers from the gendarmerie, who were previously accused of using heavy-handed tactics to end the protests.

Sammy Awami
Reporting from Antananarivo

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Madagascar is now effectively being run by the powerful military unit known as CAPSAT, a senior leader in Madagascar’s largest opposition party has told me.

The politician pointed to the recent selection of a new army chief of staff, saying that CAPSAT made the appointment and "didn’t consult the appointed ministers".

"It shows they don’t respect them," said the opposition politician, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Samuel Lando
BBC Monitoring

Rajoelina's speech has been postponed to 20:30 local time (17:30 GMT) because a group of armed soldiers is threatening to take over the state media headquarters, the president's office has said.

The army's new chief of staff, Gen Demosthene Pikulas, is attempting to resolve the situation, the statement added.

Rajoelina is scheduled to address the nation in around 10 minutes.

We do not know what the statement will be about, but yesterday the president warned that a coup was under way and, according to reports, he has left the country.

Stay with us - we will bring you the details from Rajoelina speech.

Samuel Lando
BBC Monitoring

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina released eight political prisoners on Sunday, including at least one Franco-Malagasy dual national jailed in connection with an alleged coup plot in 2021, privately-owned 24h Mada has posted on Facebook, external.

This may have been one of Rajoelina's last decisions as president, before he reportedly fled Madagascar in a French helicopter with the approval of President Emmanuel Macron.

According to the reported decree, the other prisoners whose sentences were commuted by Rajoelina include two journalists, an opposition MP and a businessman and former aide to ex-President Hery Rajaonarimamoinanina.

Christian Ntsay, Rajoelina's former prime minister, and Maminiaina Ravatomanga, a businessman close to Rajoelina, flew to Mauritius "urgently" early on Sunday, the Mauritian government has said.

In a statement, it denied interfering in Madagascar's affairs, adding it was "not satisfied" with how the plane was authorised to land in the country.

President Rajoelina had sacked Ntsay in a failed attempt to placate demonstrators angry about chronic water and power cuts, corruption, and the high cost of living.

Meanwhile, protesters had called for Ravatomanga to be investigated - they view him as a symbol of the political and economic elite that has prospered at the expense of ordinary citizens.

Sammy Awami
Reporting from Antananarivo

Image source, EPA / Shutterstock

Madagascar’s Defence Minister Manantsoa Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo may be the most powerful figure in the country at the moment.

After dissolving his government, President Andry Rajoelina appointed an army general as his new prime minister and later filled in only three cabinet posts - Defence, Gendarmerie, and Public Security, placing the military at the centre of political control.

Today, as commanders of different branches of the armed forces convened to defuse internal tensions and discuss ways to strengthen cooperation, the defence minister was in attendance. The new prime minister was not seen.

These talks position the defence minister as a central power-broker, with reports surfacing that the military is holding closed-door meetings with key political leaders, including from the opposition, as well as civil society and religious leaders, in a bid to shape the country's future.

Image source, Sammy Awami / BBC

At least 22 people have been killed since the protests began more than two weeks ago, according to UN figures.

Among them was Razanasoa Edmondine's new-born grandson.

The one-month-old baby had been to the market with his mother when police turned up and fired tear gas at protesters. They fled into a nearby building which police then fired more tear gas canisters into - quickly filling it with choking smoke.

"The baby was trying to cry but no sound came out," his grandmother tells the BBC.

"It was like something was blocking his chest. The doctor told us he had inhaled too much smoke. A couple of days later, he passed away."

• You can read the full story here

Image source, Reuters

• It was announced that President Andry Rajoelina will address the nation at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT)
• French broadcaster RFI reports that Rajoelina has been evacuated and may have gone to Dubai
• The official opposition is planning to impeach the president, a source in the party tells the BBC
• An army general has assured the public that security forces are working together to maintain order
• Thousands of protesters have converged on the main square in Madagascar's capital, demanding the president's resignation

Sammy Awami
Reporting from Antananarivo

Image source, Reuters

A source in the biggest opposition party in Madagascar has told me they are planning to impeach President Andry Rajoelina for "abandonment of post".

The source from the TIM party said they believe he has been flown out of the country in a French aircraft - something that French public broadcaster RFI first reported.

TIM is led by ex-President Marc Ravalomana, who was ousted in a popular uprising in 2009, leading to Rajoelina taking power.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Here's a timeline of the events that have led to Rajoelina's reported evacuation.

19 September - Two leading politicians are arrested after planning a protest against Madagascar's chronic power and water outages.

25 September - A youth-led online movement, known as Gen Z Mada, takes up the politicians’ cause and kickstarts protests in cities across Madagascar.

29 September - President Andry Rajoelina sacks his prime minister and entire government in an attempt to placate the protesters.

6 October - Rajoelina appoints army general Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo as prime minister, a move the protesters reject.

8 October - Gen Z Mada turns down an invite for talks with the president. Rajoelina says he will resign if the country’s power cuts are not sorted within a year.

11 October - Troops from an army unit known as CAPSAT unexpectedly leave their barracks to join protesters. One soldier dies in shoot-outs between CAPSAT and another wing of the military.

12 October - Rajoelina warns that a coup is under way. Hours later, CAPSAT claims it has seized control of the entire armed forces.

13 October - A senior army general says the security forces are working together to maintain order. French outlet RFI reports that Rajoelina has been evacuated and may have headed for Dubai.

An opposition leader has told the Reuters news agency that President Andry Rajoelina has left Madagascar, but that his final destination is not known.

"The president left the country, we called the staff of the presidency and they confirmed that he left the country" on Sunday, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko is quoted as saying.

It follows reports by the French-language broadcaster RFI that Rajoelina had been airlifted from Madagascar on Sunday in a French military plane.

Sammy Awami
Reporting from Antananarivo

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Madagascar’s military leadership underwent a major shake-up over the weekend, signalling a shift in power away from President Rajoelina.

After a high-level meeting involving senior figures from the Defence Ministry and top military commanders, Gen Demosthene Pikulas was appointed as the new Chief of Staff.

The leadership change came just hours after a deadly confrontation between soldiers from a powerful military unit, CAPSAT, and members of the paramilitary police force, the gendarmes - a clash that highlighted simmering tensions within the armed forces.

Gen Pikulas attended a ceremony on Sunday in honour of a CAPSAT soldier who was allegedly shot dead by the gendarmes, AFP news agency reported.

Alongside Gen Pikulas’s appointment, Gen Nonos Mbina Mamelison was named the new Commander of the Gendarme Forces, marking another significant change at the top of the military hierarchy.

The coming days will be critical in determining whether the shake-up brings about unity or deepens divisions within Madagascar’s armed forces.

The reshuffle has also raised questions about whether President Rajoelina is still in control, especially as he has not been seen in public since last Wednesday.

There are unconfirmed reports that the president may have left the country aboard a French military aircraft.