Antananarivo — Madagascar’s president has fled, the head of the opposition and other officials said on Monday, the second time that young protesters have toppled a government in weeks of worldwide Gen Z unrest.
Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, leader of the opposition in parliament, said Andry Nirina Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday after units of the army defected and joined the protesters.
“We called the staff of the presidency and they confirmed that he left the country,” he said, adding that Rajoelina’s whereabouts were unknown.
The president’s office did not reply to requests for comment.
A military source said Rajoelina flew out of the country on a French military aircraft on Sunday. French radio RFI said he had struck a deal with President Emmanuel Macron.
The source said a French Army Casa aircraft landed in Madagascar’s Sainte Marie airport on Sunday. “Five minutes later, a helicopter arrived and transferred its passenger into the Casa,” the source said, adding that Rajoelina was the passenger.
Demonstrations erupted in the former French colony on September 25 over water and power shortages but quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances, including corruption, bad governance and a lack of basic services.
The anger mirrors recent protests against ruling elites in countries including Nepal, where the prime minister was forced to resign last month, and Morocco.
Rajoelina had appeared increasingly isolated after losing the support of Capsat, an elite army unit that had helped him seize power in a 2009 coup.
Capsat joined the protesters over the weekend, saying it refused to shoot on them and escorting thousands of demonstrators in the main square of the capital, Antananarivo. It then said it was taking charge of the military and appointed a new army chief, prompting Rajoelina to warn on Sunday of an attempt to seize power.
On Monday a faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie supporting the protests took control of the gendarmerie at a formal ceremony in the presence of senior government officials, a witness said.
The president of the Senate — a focus of public anger during the protests — was relieved of his functions, the Senate said in a statement, and Jean André Ndremanjary was appointed on a temporary basis.
In the absence of a president, the leader of the Senate takes the post until elections are held.
At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and the security forces since September 25, according to the UN.
Madagascar, where the median age is less than 20, has a population of about 30-million, three-quarters of whom live in poverty. GDP per capita plunged 45% between independence in 1960 and 2020, according to the World Bank.
While the country is best known for producing most of the world’s vanilla, exports including nickel, cobalt, textiles and shrimps are also vital to foreign earnings and employment.
Reuters
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