Madagascar’s president flees amid protests
Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has fled the African country, the opposition leader, a military source and a foreign diplomat said.
This is the second time young protesters have overthrown the government in just over a month of worldwide Gen Z unrest.
Opposition Leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko told Reuters that Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday after army troops defected and joined protesters.
“We called the presidential staff and they confirmed that he had left the country,” he said, adding that Rajoelina’s whereabouts were unknown.
The president’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
In his address to the nation posted on Facebook late Monday, Rajoelina said he had to move to a safe place to protect his own life. He did not reveal his whereabouts but struck a defiant tone, saying he “will not allow Madagascar to be destroyed.”
The diplomatic source said that after the speech, Rajoelina refused to resign.
Rajoelina flew on a French military plane from Madagascar, a former French colony, on Sunday, a military source told Reuters. French radio RFI said it had reached an agreement with President Emmanuel Macron.
Speaking after the summit in Egypt on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage agreement, Macron said he could not immediately confirm reports that France helped Rajoelina escape the country.
He added that the constitutional order must be preserved in Madagascar and that France understands the difficulties of the country’s youth, but these difficulties should not be exploited by military groups.
A French Army Casa plane landed at Madagascar’s Sainte Marie airport on Sunday, a military source said.
“Five minutes later, a helicopter arrived and transported its passenger to Casa,” the source said, adding that the passenger was Rajoelina.
Demonstrations broke out in the country on September 25 over water and power outages, but quickly turned into an uprising over broader grievances such as corruption, mismanagement and lack of basic services.
The anger mirrored recent protests against ruling elites elsewhere, including Nepal and Morocco, where the prime minister was forced to resign last month.
Rajoelina appeared increasingly isolated after losing the support of CAPSAT, an elite unit that helped him seize power in the 2009 coup.
CAPSAT joined protesters over the weekend, saying it would refuse to open fire on them, and accompanied thousands of demonstrators through the main square of the capital Antananarivo.
He later said he was taking charge of the military and appointing a new chief of staff, prompting Rajoelina to warn of an attempt to seize power on Sunday.
On Monday, a faction of paramilitary gendarmes supporting the protests also took control of the gendarmerie and appointed a new chief of the force at an official ceremony in the presence of senior government officials, a Reuters witness said.
In the statement made by the Senate, it was stated that the Senate president, who was the focus of public anger during the protests, was dismissed. Jean André Ndremanjary was appointed as his temporary replacement.
If the office of the President becomes vacant, the Senate leader takes over until elections are held.
Thousands of people gathered in a square in the capital on Monday and shouted, “The President must resign now.”
At least 22 people have died in clashes between protesters and security forces since September 25, according to the United Nations.
Madagascar, where the median age is under 20, has a population of approximately 30 million, three-quarters of whom live in poverty.
