Madagascar Gen Z Protests: What Is Happening And Why Has President Rajoelina Fled The Country?

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has fled the country, saying he feared for his life after a section of the military rebelled against his government. Since the last week of September, the Indian Ocean nation has been witnessing widespread protests led by Gen Z over shortage of basic amenities like water and electricity and corruption in government. 

Rajoelina  departed the country on Oct. 12 aboard a French military aircraft. His whereabouts are not knows, 

In a Facebook address late on Oct. 13, Rajoelina said he had moved to a safe location to protect his life. Though he did not reveal where he was, he said he would not “allow Madagascar to be destroyed.” 

Rajoelina’s address was delayed for hours after soldiers tried to seize control of the state broadcaster buildings. Rajoelina appealed for dialogue “to find a way out of this situation” and urged that the Constitution be respected, news agency Associated Press reported.

Rajoelina has called the events an “illegal attempt to seize power.” The crisis erupted after CAPSAT, an elite military unit that helped Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup, turned against him. The unit announced it would not fire on protesters and even escorted thousands of demonstrators in the capital over the weekend.

CAPSAT later claimed control over the military and named a new army chief, prompting Rajoelina to warn of a coup attempt.

The unrest began on Sept. 25, when citizens, many of them young people, took to the streets over chronic water and electricity shortages. What started as frustration over daily hardships soon grew into a wider movement against corruption, poor governance and inequality.

At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters since the unrest began, according to the United Nations. Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital on Oct. 13, chanting, “The president must quit now.”

Three-quarters of Madagascar’s 30 million people live in poverty, and the country’s median age is under 20, according to the World Bank. GDP per capita has fallen by 45% since independence in 1960.

The protests in Madagascar echo similar youth-led demonstrations elsewhere, such as in Nepal and Morocco, where anger over governance failures has boiled over onto the streets.

Madagascar is a former French colony, and Rajoelina himself reportedly holds French citizenship, a long-standing point of contention for many citizens. News agency Reuters, citing French radio RFI, reported that Rajoelina may have struck a deal with President Emmanuel Macron to facilitate his departure.

Macron said “Constitutional order must be preserved in Madagascar.” He added that France recognised the grievances of the country’s youth, but warned they should not be exploited by military factions.