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East madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has been stripped of his citizenship after being ousted during a military takeover just a week ago.
Rajoelina, whose whereabouts remain unknown after fleeing the country following protests demanding his resignation, also holds the post French Citizenship.
The country’s new Prime Minister, Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, has signed a decree implementing laws that will strip all Madagascans of their citizenship if they have citizenship of another country.
Rajoelina’s French nationality had already sparked debate regarding his eligibility to run for president in the 2023 elections, which he won.
He fled the country at the height of youth-led protests that brought thousands of people onto the streets in several cities and initially left 22 dead and more than 100 injured in a harsh crackdown by security forces. united nations,
At the time, he said he feared for his life and addressed the nation from an undisclosed location days before the military took power and Colonel Michael Randrianarina was sworn in as president.
Madagascar has had several leaders removed in coups and has a history of political crises since gaining independence from France in 1960.
Rajoelina, 51, first came to prominence as the leader of a transitional government after a 2009 coup that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to flee the country.
Constant water and electricity cuts were at the center of the latest youth rebellion, but it soon turned to frustration over other issues such as poverty and unemployment.