Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has fled the African nation on a French military aircraft, opposition officials confirmed on Monday, marking the second time in recent weeks that youth-led protesters have toppled a government in a global wave of Gen Z unrest.
Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, leader of the opposition in parliament, told Reuters that Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday after units of the army defected and joined the protesters. Presidential staff confirmed the departure when contacted by the opposition, though Rajoelina’s current whereabouts remain unknown.
Radio France International reported that he struck a deal with President Emmanuel Macron to be evacuated. A military source said a French Army Casa aircraft landed at Madagascar’s Sainte Marie airport on Sunday, with a helicopter arriving five minutes later to transfer a passenger into the plane, identifying Rajoelina as that passenger.
Scheduled Address Cancelled
The president’s office, which had earlier announced Rajoelina would address the nation at 7pm local time on Monday, did not respond to requests for comment. The scheduled televised address was never delivered.
Opposition members of Madagascar’s National Assembly will begin impeachment proceedings against the departed president, Randrianasoloniaiko confirmed. He stated the constitution gives them the right to impeach the president.
Three-Week Uprising Forces Leader’s Escape
Demonstrations erupted in the former French colony on 25 September over water and power shortages but quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances, including corruption, bad governance and lack of basic services. The anger mirrors recent protests against ruling elites in countries including Nepal, where the prime minister was forced to resign last month, and Morocco.
Rajoelina had appeared increasingly isolated after losing the support of CAPSAT, an elite unit which had helped him seize power in a 2009 coup. CAPSAT joined the protesters over the weekend, saying it refused to shoot on them and escorting thousands of demonstrators into the main square of the capital, Antananarivo.
The unit then said it was taking charge of the military and appointed a new army chief, prompting Rajoelina to warn on Sunday of an attempt to seize power in the island nation off the coast of southern Africa.
Military and Gendarmerie Back Protesters
On Monday, a faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie supporting the protests also took control of the gendarmerie at a formal ceremony in the presence of senior government officials, a Reuters witness reported. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, a CAPSAT commander, said his soldiers had exchanged gunfire with security forces attempting to quell weekend protests, and one of his soldiers was killed.
General Demosthene Pikulas was installed as the new military chief during a ceremony at military headquarters attended by Armed Forces Minister Manantsoa Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo.
The president of the Senate, a focus of public anger during the protests, was relieved of his functions, the Senate said in a statement, with Jean André Ndremanjary appointed on a temporary basis. In the absence of a president, the leader of the Senate takes the post until elections are held.
Thousands Celebrate in Capital
On Monday, thousands of people gathered in a square in the capital, shouting “the president must quit now”. Protesters marched alongside military vehicles in celebratory scenes as news of Rajoelina’s departure spread.
Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, a 22-year-old hotel worker, told Reuters his 300,000-ariary (£48, $67) monthly salary was barely enough to cover food, explaining his reasons for joining the protests. He stated that in 16 years the president and his government have done nothing except enrich themselves whilst the people stay poor, adding that the youth, the Gen Z, suffer the most.
Vanessa Rafanomezantsoa, a 24-year-old unemployed mother of two wearing torn clothes, said the president had been in power more than 15 years, and still there’s no water, no electricity, and no jobs. She added that whilst the government is rich, ordinary Madagascans don’t have enough to eat.
Gen Z Movement Claims Victory
The protests were led by a group calling itself Gen Z Madagascar, which began demonstrations over electricity and water outages before snowballing into larger dissatisfaction with Rajoelina’s leadership. Civic groups and trade unions joined the protests, which resulted in nighttime curfews being enforced in Antananarivo and other major cities.
Gen Z Madagascar’s logo is a pirate skull and crossbones from the Japanese comic series One Piece, which has become central to the global wave of Gen Z protests. The image has come to symbolise Gen Z movements from Kenya to Nepal. In Madagascar, the image has been personalised by adding a traditional Madagascan hat on the skull.
The group has its own website, a presence on social media platforms and a GoFundMe page to raise money, with their website header reading: “Political movement of young people, by young people, for Madagascar”.
The movement said in a statement: “We do not reach out to a regime that every day crushes those who stand up for justice.”
At Least 22 Dead in Protests
At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and the security forces since 25 September, according to the United Nations. The UN accused Madagascar security forces of a violent response to what started as peaceful demonstrations. The Madagascar government rejected that death toll but authorities haven’t given their own count of deaths or injuries.
Rajoelina disputed the toll, saying last week there were 12 confirmed deaths and all of these individuals were looters and vandals. According to local media, the emergency services reported another two dead and 26 injured on Saturday.
Nation in Severe Poverty Crisis
Madagascar, where the median age is less than 20, has a population of about 30 million, three-quarters of whom live in poverty, with GDP per capita plunging 45 per cent between independence in 1960 and 2020, according to the World Bank.
Only about a third of Madagascar’s 30 million people have access to electricity, according to the International Monetary Fund. Daily power cuts often exceed eight hours, and Jirama, the state energy company, has been accused of corruption and mismanagement, fuelling public anger.
Whilst the country is best known for producing most of the world’s vanilla, other exports including nickel, cobalt, textiles and shrimps are also vital to foreign earnings and employment.
History Repeats Itself
Rajoelina, 51, first took power in a military-backed coup in 2009 after gathering more than 20,000 protesters in the capital, with his supporters defying the government with the tacit support of the military. He was elected president in 2018 and reelected in 2023, when the vote was boycotted by opposition parties.
Rajoelina won about 59 per cent of votes cast in the first round, though turnout was only 46 per cent. Media reports revealed that Rajoelina had acquired French nationality back in 2014, which triggered calls for him to be disqualified from running for president.
Madagascar, a large island off the east coast of Africa, has seen several leaders forced out in uprisings since it gained independence from France in 1960 and has a history of political crises.
Failed Concessions
Rajoelina attempted to appease the Gen Z protesters by meeting some of their demands and firing government officials and Prime Minister Christian Ntsay last week. But he appointed an army general as the new prime minister in a move seen by the protesters as an attempt to clamp down on them.
Prime Minister Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo, a military general appointed after Rajoelina dismissed his predecessor under pressure from demonstrators, said the government was fully ready to listen and engage in dialogue with all factions. However, the president’s flight from the country on Sunday rendered these efforts meaningless.
Rajoelina said, without providing evidence, that some politicians were plotting to take advantage of the protests and had considered staging a coup whilst he was addressing the United Nations in New York last week.
Global Gen Z Movement Gains Momentum
The successful toppling of Rajoelina’s government marks the second time in recent weeks that youth-led protesters have forced a government from power, following similar events in Nepal. The Madagascan protesters drew inspiration from youth-led protest movements in countries including Kenya, Indonesia, Morocco, Nepal and Bangladesh.
These demonstrations are often organised online, using platforms like TikTok and social media to spread messages, plan actions and connect with other young people. Unlike traditional movements, these Gen Z protests are often leaderless and decentralised, making them harder for authorities to dismantle.
CAPSAT soldiers drove through Antananarivo in armoured vehicles to cheers from protesters waving national flags. Videos shared online showed CAPSAT troops addressing crowds outside the capital’s town hall, with demonstrators and military personnel standing together atop a destroyed police vehicle.
The African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, expressed deep concern over the unfolding situation and called on all parties to engage in dialogue to prevent further instability. The US Embassy in Madagascar advised American citizens to shelter in place because of a highly volatile and unpredictable situation.
Air France-KLM’s French division suspended flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Antananarivo from 11 October to 13 October due to the security situation on the ground.
The dramatic collapse of Rajoelina’s government serves as a stark warning to leaders across Africa and beyond, as a new generation of digitally savvy young activists demonstrates their power to challenge entrenched authority and demand accountability from their governments.
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Image Credit:
Andry Rajoelina — photo (cropped, April 28, 2024) taken by 外務省 / Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan), licensed under CC BY 4.0
