Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has fled the country following weeks of mass protests driven by young demonstrators, officials said on Monday, marking the latest government to fall amid a wave of global Gen Z unrest.
Opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko told Reuters that Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday after sections of the army defected and joined the protesters demanding his resignation.
“We called the staff of the presidency and they confirmed that he left the country,” he said, adding that Rajoelina’s whereabouts remain unknown.
In a late-night Facebook address on Monday, Rajoelina confirmed he had “moved to a safe location” for his own protection but vowed not to let Madagascar “be destroyed.”
He did not reveal where he was speaking from, though a military source told Reuters that he departed on a French military aircraft from the island’s Sainte Marie airport.
The source said a helicopter transferred him to the plane, which then left for an undisclosed destination.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in Egypt after a Gaza ceasefire summit, said he could not confirm whether France assisted in Rajoelina’s evacuation but emphasized that “constitutional order must be preserved” in Madagascar.
The unrest began on September 25, initially sparked by anger over water and power shortages before escalating into nationwide protests against corruption, poor governance, and economic hardship.
The demonstrations have claimed at least 22 lives, according to the United Nations.
Rajoelina’s position weakened sharply over the weekend after he lost the support of CAPSAT, an elite military unit that had helped him seize power in a 2009 coup.
CAPSAT announced it would not fire on demonstrators and joined the protests instead, later appointing a new army chief.
A faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie followed suit on Monday, taking control of its leadership and aligning with protesters.
Amid the chaos, the president of the Senate, a key target of public anger, was removed from office, and Jean André Ndremanjary was appointed interim leader.
Under Madagascar’s constitution, the Senate president assumes the presidency if the office falls vacant until new elections are held.
On Monday, thousands of protesters filled Antananarivo’s Independence Square chanting, “The president must quit now.”
Many young demonstrators said they were driven by frustration over poverty and unemployment.
“In 16 years, the president and his government have done nothing except enrich themselves while the people stay poor,” said Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, a 22-year-old hotel worker.
Madagascar, home to about 30 million people, has a median age under 20, and nearly three-quarters of its population lives in poverty.
According to the World Bank, the country’s GDP per capita has fallen by 45% since independence in 1960.
Before fleeing, Rajoelina reportedly issued pardons to several individuals, including two French nationals convicted of plotting a 2021 coup. The move, confirmed by an internal presidency document, may have been one of his final acts in office.
With the president’s departure and the military fractured, Madagascar faces an uncertain future as opposition leaders and youth movements push for a transitional government and fresh elections.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
