Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has fled the country following weeks of nationwide protests led by young demonstrators, officials confirmed on Monday. It marks the second government toppled by Gen Z movements in recent weeks.
President leaves on French military plane.
Opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko told Reuters that Rajoelina departed on Sunday after sections of the military defected and joined protesters. “We contacted the presidency staff, and they confirmed he left the country,” he said. Rajoelina’s exact location remains unknown.
In a Facebook broadcast later that night, Rajoelina claimed he had moved to a “safe location” to protect his life but vowed not to “allow Madagascar to be destroyed.”
A military source revealed that Rajoelina left aboard a French military aircraft on Sunday. French radio RFI reported that the Malagasy leader may have struck a deal with President Emmanuel Macron.
When asked in Egypt about the alleged evacuation, Macron said France could not confirm the reports but emphasized that “constitutional order must be preserved” and warned against exploiting the grievances of Madagascar’s youth.
Military and Gendarmerie join protests.
The crisis deepened after Madagascar’s elite army unit, CAPSAT which had supported Rajoelina’s 2009 coup switched sides and joined protesters over the weekend. CAPSAT declared it would not fire on citizens and later took charge of the military command.
On Monday, a faction of the gendarmerie also pledged allegiance to the protesters during a formal ceremony witnessed by senior officials. The Senate president, a target of public anger, was dismissed and replaced temporarily by Jean André Ndremanjary.
Mounting anger and economic despair.
Demonstrations began on September 25 over worsening water and power shortages but quickly grew into a broader movement against corruption and poor governance.
“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 earning 300,000 ariary ($67) per month. “And the youth, the Gen Z, suffer the most.”
According to the UN, at least 22 people have died since the protests began.
Background: A Nation in Crisis
Madagascar, home to 30 million people, three-quarters of whom live in poverty has a median age below 20. The World Bank notes that its GDP per capita has dropped 45% since independence in 1960.
While best known for producing most of the world’s vanilla, Madagascar’s economy also relies on nickel, cobalt, textiles, and shrimp exports.
Final acts before departure
Before leaving the country, Rajoelina reportedly signed presidential pardons for several individuals, including two French nationals Paul Maillot Rafanoharana and Francois Marc Philippe who were convicted in a 2021 coup attempt.
As the country faces uncertainty, protesters continue to fill the streets of Antananarivo chanting, “The president must quit now.”
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