Madagascar’s political crisis deepened on Monday as opposition figures claimed that President Andry Rajoelina had fled the country following days of mounting unrest led by young protesters.
This marks the second time in recent weeks that youth-driven demonstrations have forced out a sitting government amid a wave of global Gen Z uprisings.
Opposition leader in parliament, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, told Reuters that Rajoelina departed Madagascar on Sunday after parts of the military defected and joined the protesters.
“We called the staff of the presidency, and they confirmed that he left the country,” Randrianasoloniaiko said, noting that the president’s whereabouts remained unknown.
The presidency has not responded to requests for comment.
Later on Monday, Rajoelina addressed the nation in a Facebook broadcast, insisting that he had relocated “to a safe location” for his own protection. While he declined to reveal where he was speaking from, the president appeared defiant.
“I will not allow Madagascar to be destroyed,” he declared.
A diplomatic source told Reuters that despite the speech, Rajoelina had refused to resign.
French military aircraft involvement
A military source confirmed that Rajoelina left the country aboard a French military aircraft on Sunday.
French broadcaster RFI reported that he had reached an agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Speaking from Egypt after a summit on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, Macron said he could not yet confirm whether France had assisted Rajoelina’s departure.
He emphasized that constitutional order must be maintained in Madagascar, saying France “understood the grievances of the country’s youth,” but warned that such frustrations “should not be exploited by military factions.”
The same military source revealed that a French Army Casa aircraft landed at Sainte Marie Airport in Madagascar on Sunday.
“Five minutes later, a helicopter arrived and transferred its passenger into the Casa,” the source said, identifying Rajoelina as the passenger.
Military defections and growing isolation
Rajoelina’s hold on power weakened sharply after losing the backing of CAPSAT, an elite military unit that had helped him seize power during the 2009 coup.
Over the weekend, CAPSAT declared it would not fire on demonstrators and instead escorted thousands of protesters through Antananarivo’s main square.
The unit later announced that it was assuming control of the military and had appointed a new army chief, prompting Rajoelina to denounce the move as an attempted coup.
By Monday, a faction of the gendarmerie also switched sides, taking over the national headquarters in a formal ceremony witnessed by senior government officials, according to a Reuters reporter.
The Senate announced that its president, who had become a symbol of public anger, was removed from office, with Jean André Ndremanjary appointed as acting leader.
Under Madagascar’s constitution, the Senate president assumes the presidency temporarily in the event of a vacancy until elections are held.
‘The president must quit’
Thousands of demonstrators gathered again in the capital’s main square on Monday, chanting demands for Rajoelina’s resignation.
Hotel worker Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, 22, explained why he joined the protests.
“In 16 years the president and his government have done nothing except enrich themselves while the people stay poor. And the youth, the Gen Z, suffer the most,” he said, adding that his 300,000-ariary ($67) monthly salary barely covers food.
According to the UN, at least 22 people have died in clashes between security forces and demonstrators since the unrest began on September 25.
Madagascar, a nation of 30 million people with a median age under 20, remains one of the poorest countries in the world. About 75% of its population lives in poverty, and the World Bank estimates that its GDP per capita has fallen by 45% since independence in 1960.
The country is the world’s leading producer of vanilla, while other key exports include nickel, cobalt, shrimp, and textiles.
In what appears to have been one of his final acts before leaving Madagascar, Rajoelina issued pardons on Sunday for several individuals, including two French nationals, Paul Maillot Rafanoharana and Francois Marc Philippe, who were convicted in connection with an attempted coup in 2021.
According to an internal document seen by Reuters and confirmed by a presidency source, the pardons were signed shortly before his departure.
