14/10/2025
Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina fled the country on Sunday after army units defected to join youth-led protests over poor governance. This marks the second time young protesters have toppled a government in weeks of worldwide Gen Z unrest. The opposition leader in parliament, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, and other officials confirmed Rajoelina's departure on Monday, stating his current whereabouts were unknown. A military source and French radio RFI reported he flew out on a French military aircraft after striking a deal with President Emmanuel Macron; the source detailed a French Army Casa aircraft picking up Rajoelina at Sainte Marie airport.
The demonstrations, which began on September 25, initially protested water and power shortages but quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances, including corruption, bad governance, and lack of basic services, mirroring recent protests in countries like Nepal and Morocco. Rajoelina had lost the support of CAPSAT, an elite unit instrumental in his 2009 coup. CAPSAT joined the protesters over the weekend, refusing to fire on them, escorting demonstrators in the capital Antananarivo, and then announcing it was taking charge of the military and appointing a new army chief—prompting Rajoelina's warning of an attempted power seizure. On Monday, a faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie also took control of the gendarmerie.
In the wake of the President's flight, the President of the Senate was relieved of his functions and Jean André Ndremanjary was temporarily appointed, as the Senate leader typically assumes the post until elections. On Monday, thousands gathered in the capital, demanding the president's immediate resignation. Protester Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, 22, cited poverty and government self-enrichment as reasons for joining, noting that "the youth, the Gen Z, suffer the most." At least 22 people have been killed in clashes since the protests began. Madagascar, a nation with a median age of under 20 and a population of about 30 million, sees three-quarters of its people living in poverty, with its GDP per capita plunging 45 per cent between 1960 and 2020.
