Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has reportedly left the country aboard a French military aircraft, following an arrangement with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a report by French broadcaster RFI on Monday.
Rajoelina’s departure comes as he faces mounting political isolation after losing the support of a key army unit that joined nationwide protests led by young citizens demanding his resignation over worsening poverty and corruption.
A spokesperson for the Madagascar presidency has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the report.
Widespread Protests and Political Fallout
The demonstrations, which began on September 25, were initially triggered by water and power shortages but quickly evolved into a nationwide movement against poor governance and deteriorating living conditions. Thousands have taken to the streets in the capital and other regions, calling for Rajoelina’s immediate departure.
Opposition lawmakers have also moved to intensify pressure on the embattled president. “Opposition members of Madagascar’s National Assembly will begin impeachment proceedings against him,” opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko told Reuters on Monday.
Warning of a Coup and Military Defections
Rajoelina had earlier warned on Sunday of an attempt to overthrow his government after the defection of CAPSAT, an elite army unit that helped him seize power in a 2009 coup. The unit announced over the weekend that it was assuming control of the military and had appointed a new army chief.
In a further blow, a faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie declared its allegiance to the protesters and took formal control of gendarmerie operations on Monday, in a ceremony attended by senior officials, according to a Reuters witness.
Meanwhile, the president of the Senate—a target of public anger—was dismissed from office, and Jean André Ndremanjary was appointed as interim leader. Under Madagascar’s constitution, the Senate president assumes presidential duties if the head of state is absent until new elections are held.
Youth-Led “Gen Z” Protests Echo Global Movements
Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Antananarivo on Monday, chanting, “The president must quit now.” Among them was Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, a 22-year-old hotel worker earning 300,000 ariary ($67) monthly.
“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 told Reuters.
At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces since the unrest began, according to the United Nations.
Analysts have likened Madagascar’s uprising to similar Gen Z-led protests in Morocco, Nepal, and Kenya, where demonstrators have adopted shared symbols such as the “One Piece” skull-and-straw-hat emblem to express solidarity against entrenched elites.
Economic Struggles and Deep Inequality
With a population of roughly 30 million, three-quarters of whom live in poverty, Madagascar remains one of the poorest nations in the world. The World Bank reports that the country’s GDP per capita has fallen by 45% since independence in 1960.
While Madagascar is the world’s largest vanilla exporter, its economy also relies heavily on nickel, cobalt, textiles, and shrimp exports, sectors now disrupted by political instability.
