President of Madagascar flees the country after Gen Z protests and protesters call for resignation

Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, last week REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko Madagascar authorities announced this Monday (13) that President Andry Rajoelina fled the country this Sunday (12), after rebel military personnel took control of the Armed Forces. Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, leader of the opposition in Parliament, told the Reuters news agency that Rajoelina left Madagascar after army units defected and joined Generation Z protesters, who have been staging protests in the country’s streets since September 25. “We called the presidential team and they confirmed that he has left the country,” he said, adding that the president’s current whereabouts are still unknown. A military source told Reuters that Rajoelina left the country on a French military plane. According to French radio RFI, he reached a deal with President Emmanuel Macron. The president’s office, which had previously told the news agency that Rajoelina would address the nation at 7pm on Monday, did not respond to requests for comment on the escape. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp ‘Spring of the young’: how technology and frustration with public power spread Generation Z protests around the world On the streets of Antananarivo, the country’s capital, young people from Generation Z came together to follow the protests and celebrate the news. Thousands gathered in a square chanting: “The president must resign now.” Protesters returned to the streets of Antananarivo, Madagascar, this Monday (13) and celebrated the president’s escape. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko With Rajoelina’s departure from the country, the person who will assume her duties until new elections are held is the president of the Senate. The current one, the focus of public outrage during the protests, was removed from his duties this Monday and a new name has already been appointed to take his place temporarily, the house said in a statement: Jean André Ndremanjary. Troops joined the protesters Rebel soldiers in Madagascar say they have taken command of the Armed Forces The Madagascar Army’s announcement about the seizure of power by the country’s Armed Forces came shortly after Andry Rajoelina denounced an “illegal attempt to seize power”. The military declared, in a video, that “all orders from the Malagasy army, whether land, air or sea, will come from the CAPSAT headquarters”, an acronym that identifies the contingent of administrative and technical officers. On Saturday (11), the group of soldiers had joined anti-government protesters in Antananarivo, the island’s capital, which registered the largest protests since the demonstrations began. In a statement published on official networks, the government stated that “an illegal and violent attempt to seize power” was underway and that the president defended “dialogue as a way out of the crisis”. Protesters gather around a military vehicle in Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital, during a nationwide youth-led protest against frequent power cuts and water shortages Zo Andrianjafy/Reuters Protests growing The country’s Gen Z movement began over water and electricity cuts but quickly broadened to criticism of corruption, political leaders and a lack of opportunities in the country. At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces since September 25, according to the UN. Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in the world, has a history of frequent popular uprisings since it gained independence from France in 1960. Among them, the 2009 protests stand out, which forced then-president Marc Ravalomanana to leave office and paved the way for Andry Rajoelina’s first term. The current president was re-elected in 2018 and again in 2023, in elections marked by opposition protests and boycotts. Groups of Madagascan soldiers joined thousands of protesters in the capital on October 11, 2025, after announcing they would refuse any order to shoot protesters. LUIS TATO / AFP Soldiers from Madagascar join protesters LUIS TATO / AFP See the videos that are trending on g1

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