MADAGASCAR’S President Andry Rajoelina has fled the country following massive youth-led protests and army defections, officials confirmed Monday, marking the second time in just over a month that Gen Z movements have toppled a government amid global unrest.
Opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko told reporters that Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday after several army units joined the protesters.
“We called the staff of the presidency and they confirmed that he left the country,” he said, adding that the president’s whereabouts remain unknown.
In a Facebook address late Monday, Rajoelina said he had moved to a “safe location” for his own protection but refused to step down, declaring he would not “allow Madagascar to be destroyed.”
A military source said the president left aboard a French military aircraft that departed from Sainte Marie airport on Sunday.
French outlet RFI reported that Rajoelina struck a deal with French President Emmanuel Macron, though Macron later said he could not confirm France’s role, emphasizing that constitutional order must be preserved.
Protests that began on September 25 over water and power shortages quickly escalated into a nationwide uprising against corruption, poor governance, and worsening poverty.
Over the weekend, the elite military unit CAPSAT, which helped Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup, announced it was joining the protesters and refused to fire on them.
CAPSAT then took control of the military and appointed a new army chief, prompting Rajoelina to warn of an attempted coup.
A faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie followed suit on Monday, naming its own commander in a formal ceremony witnessed by senior officials.
The Senate president, who had become a target of public anger, was also replaced.
Thousands of protesters filled Antananarivo’s main square on Monday, chanting, “The president must quit now.”
One 22-year-old hotel worker told Reuters he joined the demonstrations because his monthly salary of 300,000 ariary ($67) was not enough to buy food.
“In 16 years, the president and his government have done nothing except enrich themselves while the people stay poor,” he said.
At least 22 people have been killed in clashes since the unrest began, according to the United Nations.
Madagascar, home to nearly 30 million people, has a median age under 20 and remains one of the world’s poorest nations, with three-quarters of its population living in poverty.
Before fleeing, Rajoelina reportedly pardoned several detainees, including two French nationals convicted of plotting a coup in 2021.