Nepal’s Gen-Z Protest Echoes Across Indian Ocean: Madagascar President Flees, Army Steps In Amid Coup Allegation | World News

Antananarivo (Madagascar): By the time the Malagasy army announced it was taking charge of the country, the echoes of youth-led uprisings in Nepal were being felt on the streets of the capital. The impeachment of President Andry Rajoelina came after weeks of protests led by Gen Z; It’s a pattern that echoes recent turmoil in Kathmandu, where young citizens are challenging entrenched political authority and forcing national reckonings.

Colonel Michael Randrianirina spoke to reporters outside the presidential palace on Tuesday, hours after parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina. “We took power,” he said.

The military also declared the suspension of all institutions except the lower house of parliament and promised to establish a council with officers and law enforcement leaders. A prime minister will be appointed to “quickly” form a civilian government, he added.

The elite Corps d’Administration des Personnels et des Services Administratifs et Techniques (CAPSAT) unit, which joined the demonstrators on Saturday, played a decisive role in tipping the balance. Its alignment with protesters is reminiscent of Nepal’s 2023 Generation Z movement, where security forces refused to suppress demonstrations, effectively amplifying youth voices and accelerating political change.

Rajoelina announced via social media that she fled the country for her safety. “I went to a safe area,” he said in a broadcast Monday night, echoing the sentiments of leaders facing mass youth uprisings elsewhere in South Asia.

A military source told Reuters he had departed on a French military plane, but authorities in Paris would not confirm his involvement.

Protests in Madagascar began on September 25 over cuts to basic services, including water and electricity, but quickly evolved into broader issues such as corruption, the high cost of living, and demands for systemic reform. Like its counterparts in Nepal, the Gen Z Madagascar movement has rejected government offers of dialogue and insisted on immediate structural changes.

Protesters said, “They did not want to hear us on the streets. Today, thanks to digital technology and the voice of Generation Z, we will make our voices heard at the table of power. Let’s demand transparency, accountability and reforms to end 16 years of inaction.”

Rajoelina’s attempts to remove parliament from exile mirrored similar political maneuvers in Nepal, where the leadership sought to circumvent youth-driven powers. His decree, published on social media, was rejected by the Opposition parties, which initiated the impeachment process.

The legal basis for this is unclear at the moment. Legally, Rajoelina is president, but the military has announced that it will take over the security institutions because the balance of power is not in Rajoelina’s favor.

The United Nations reported that at least 22 people died and more than 100 people were injured in the demonstrations. CAPSAT confirmed the death of a soldier in clashes with other security forces, recalling the sacrifices of young protesters and sympathetic officials in Nepal’s Generation Z movement, which has also seen clashes between demonstrators and police.

The uprising exposed social frustrations in Madagascar, one of the world’s poorest countries, where power outages are routine and access to basic services is limited. The youth-led movement has unleashed a transnational wave of young people demanding accountability and reform, inspired by global uprisings including Nepal, Indonesia, Kenya and Peru.

CAPSAT established a steering commission consisting of military and police leaders and promised to establish a civilian government within a short time.

Colonel Randrianirina claimed: “We responded to the people’s calls, but it was not a coup.”

The military’s intervention, as in Nepal, was carefully framed as a response to popular demand rather than a unilateral seizure of power.

The government effectively collapsed. The Supreme Constitutional Court, which could have overseen the president’s actions, has now been disbanded, leaving the country in a state of flux similar to Nepal during the youth-led political uprising.

The Generation Z emblem, featuring pirate skulls adorned with native hats, has become a symbol of youth resistance around the world, appearing at protests from Indonesia to Nepal and now Madagascar. Young demonstrators continue to demand systemic reforms, transparency and an end to long-standing corruption; This shows that the spirit of Generation Z activism transcends borders.