Madagascar’s president has reportedly left the country following protests from Gen Z

Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, has left the African country, according to the head of the opposition, a military source, and a foreign diplomat. This is the second time in less than a month of Gen Z upheaval throughout the world that youthful demonstrators have overthrown a government.

The head of the opposition in parliament, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, told Reuters that Rajoelina departed Madagascar on Sunday after army forces defected and joined the demonstrators.

He added that it was unknown where Rajoelina was. “We called the staff of the presidency and they confirmed that he left the country,” he stated.

Requests for comment from the president’s office were not answered.

In a speech to the public that was streamed on Facebook late Monday, Rajoelina stated that he needed to relocate to a secure area in order to safeguard his own life. He seemed obstinate and refused to “allow Madagascar to be destroyed” while keeping his location a secret.

Rajoelina was refusing to resign, the diplomatic source stated following the address.

ON THE FRENCH MILITARY PLANE, THE PRESIDENT LEFT

Rajoelina took out on a French military plane on Sunday from Madagascar, a former French colony, according to a military source who spoke to Reuters. According to French radio RFI, he and President Emmanuel Macron have reached an agreement.

After a summit on the truce and hostage agreement in Gaza, Macron said he could not immediately verify claims that France had assisted Rajoelina in leaving the country. He was speaking in Egypt at the time. In addition, he stated that Madagascar’s constitutional order must be upheld and that although France recognized the youth’s complaints, military factions should not take advantage of them.

According to the military source, a French Army Casa plane touched down at Sainte Marie airfield in Madagascar on Sunday. The source stated that Rajoelina was the passenger of the chopper that “arrived and transferred its passenger into the Casa” five minutes later.

Water and electricity shortages had sparked protests in the nation on September 25, but they swiftly turned into an uprising over more general complaints, such as poor government, corruption, and a lack of essential services.

Similar to recent demonstrations against ruling elites in Morocco and Nepal, where the prime minister was forced to quit last month, the ire was comparable.

GENDARMERIE, LOST ARMY SUPPORT

CAPSAT, an elite group that had assisted Rajoelina in taking power in a 2009 coup, had abandoned him, and he had since seemed more and more alone.

Over the weekend, CAPSAT joined the protesters, escorting thousands of marchers in Antananarivo’s main square and vowing not to fire on them.

Later, it said that it was assuming control of the armed forces and named a new army head, which prompted Rajoelina to issue a warning on Sunday about a potential coup attempt.

In front of senior government officials, a group of paramilitary gendarmerie members who were supporting the protests also took over the gendarmerie on Monday. According to a Reuters witness, they named a new force chief in a ceremonial ceremony.

According to a statement from the Senate, the president of the Senate, who was the target of public outrage during the protests, was removed of his duties. A provisional appointment was made to replace him: Jean André Ndremanjary.

The Senate leader fills the vacancy in the president’s position until elections are held.

“THE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO LEAVE”

Thousands of people cheered “the president must quit now” as they gathered in a capital square on Monday.

22-year-old Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, a hotel employee, told Reuters that he was participating in the demonstrations because his $300,000 monthly salary was insufficient to pay for food.

“The president and his administration have done nothing but enrich themselves over the past 16 years, while the populace continues to live in poverty. And Gen Z, the younger generation, suffers the most,” he remarked.

Since September 25, the United Nations reports that conflicts between protestors and security forces have resulted in the deaths of at least 22 individuals.

Three-quarters of the 30 million people who reside in Madagascar, where the median age is under 20, are impoverished. The World Bank reports that between 1960, when the country gained independence, and 2020, GDP per capita fell by 45%.

A presidential source confirmed the contents of an official document seen by Reuters, which showed that Rajoelina pardoned a number of people on Sunday, including two French nationals, in what seemed to be one of his final actions before departing the country.

Due to an attempted coup in 2021, Paul Maillot Rafanoharana and Francois Marc Philippe, both French nationals, were found guilty of damaging state security.