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from madagascar President Andrey Rajoelina has reportedly fled the African country, according to the opposition leader and other officials. It is the second example in recent weeks of young protesters toppling a government amid a global wave of Generation Z unrest.
Parliamentary opposition leader Songy Randrianassolonihiko informed Reuters on Sunday that Mr. Rajoelina had held the Madagascar portfolio.
The President’s Office, which had earlier announced that there would be a national address on Monday evening, declined to comment on the evolving situation. Mr Rajoelina was scheduled to deliver the address after an apparent coup attempt by CAPSAT, an elite military unit, which publicly demanded his resignation. Joining anti-government protests,
The unit previously played a key role in bringing Mr. Rajoelina to power as a transitional leader during a military-backed coup in 2009. CAPSAT has since claimed that it has taken charge of all armed forces in Madagascar.
the president fled the country
Mr Rajoelina flew out of the country on a French military plane on Sunday, a military source told Reuters. French radio station RFI said it had reached an agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The French military’s CASA aircraft landed at Sainte Marie airport in Madagascar on Sunday, the source said. “Five minutes later, a helicopter arrived and transferred its passenger to CASA,” the source said, adding that Mr. Rajoelina was the passenger.
“We called the presidential staff and they confirmed that he had left the country,” Mr. Randriana Soloniako said, adding that Mr. Rajoelina’s current whereabouts were unknown.
The presidential office, which had earlier said Mr. Rajoelina would address the nation at 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Monday, did not respond to requests for comment.
Responding to the reports, French The Foreign Ministry referred The Associated Press to a statement issued by the French Embassy, which said: “No French military intervention is ongoing or planned in Madagascar, whose sovereignty and territorial integrity France fully respects.”
Madagascar is a former French colony, while Mr. Rajoelina reportedly has French citizenship, which has previously been a source of discontent among Madagascar.
specific unit claims control over the army
Mr Rajoelina has not said who was behind the coup attempt, but the CAPSAT military unit appeared to be in a position of authority and on Sunday appointed a general as the new head of Madagascar’s armed forces. The appointment was accepted by the Defense Minister.
Colonel Michael Randrianarina, a CAPSAT commander, said his troops had exchanged fire with security forces who were attempting to suppress weekend protests, and one of his soldiers had been killed. But there was no major fighting in the streets, and soldiers riding in armored vehicles and waving Madagascar flags were cheered by people in Antananarivo.
Mr Randrianirina said the military “responded to the people’s call” but denied that a coup was underway. Speaking at the country’s military headquarters on Sunday, he told reporters it was up to the people of Madagascar to decide what happens next, and whether Mr. Rajoelina would step down from power and new elections would be held.
The US Embassy in Madagascar advised US citizens to shelter in place due to the “highly volatile and unpredictable” situation. The African Union urged all parties, both civilian and military, to exercise calm and restraint.
Anti-government protests for several weeks
Madagascar has been rocked by three weeks of its worst unrest in years. The protests that erupted on September 25 over water and electricity cuts were led by a group calling itself “Gen Z Madagascar”. The United Nations says at least 22 people have been killed and dozens injured in the demonstrations. The government has disputed this number.
These demonstrations turned into an expression of widespread dissatisfaction with the government and Mr. Rajoelina’s leadership. Protesters have raised a number of issues, including poverty and cost of living, access to tertiary education, and alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds by government officials, as well as their families and associates.
Civic groups and trade unions have also joined the protests, resulting in night-time curfews being imposed in Antananarivo and other major cities.
Gen Z protesters The people who inspired the rebellion have mobilized on the internet and say they were inspired by other protests that have toppled governments Nepal And Sri Lanka.
History of political crises
Many of Madagascar’s leaders have been ousted in coups before, and the country has a history of political crises since gaining independence from France in 1960.
Mr. Rajoelina, now 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 and lose power. Mr Rajoelina was elected president in 2018, and re-elected in 2023 in a vote boycotted by opposition parties.
Additional reporting by Reuters