Madagascar plunges into chaos as Gen Z uprising drives president into hiding

Andry Rajoelina, Madagascar’s embattled president, has said he is sheltering in a “safe place” after an attempt on his life, following weeks of protests demanding his resignation.

In a live Facebook broadcast late Monday, the 51-year-old leader accused a group of “military personnel and politicians” of plotting to assassinate him. “Since September 25, there have been attempts on my life and coup attempts,” Rajoelina said. “I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life.”

Read also: Madagascar president warns of coup attempt as more soldiers join protests – Reuters

He did not disclose his location, but opposition figures and diplomatic sources said he had fled the country on Sunday aboard a French military aircraft, a claim the French government has neither confirmed nor denied.

The unrest, led largely by young demonstrators calling themselves Gen Z Mada, has plunged the Indian Ocean island into its deepest political crisis in more than a decade.

Weeks of anti-government protests, fuelled by economic hardship and frustration with corruption, escalated when sections of the army defected to join demonstrators in the capital, Antananarivo.

Over the weekend, CAPSAT,  a powerful military unit that once helped install Rajoelina in power during the 2009 coup, declared itself in command of all the armed forces. Some of its officers were later seen marching with protesters.

Read also:Madagascar faces military mutiny as elite soldiers turn against president

Following a meeting of military commanders on Monday, CAPSAT’s newly installed army chief, Gen Demosthene Pikulas, sought to reassure the public, saying security forces were “working together to maintain order”.

But by evening, soldiers loyal to the unit had surrounded state television headquarters, forcing delays to Rajoelina’s scheduled address. The presidency later said the general had entered the building to “restore calm”.

A senior military source told Reuters that a French military Casa aircraft had landed at Sainte Marie airport on Sunday before a helicopter ferried an unnamed passenger on board. “Five minutes later, the Casa took off. That passenger was Rajoelina,” the source claimed.

Read also:Rajoelina asks for one year to fix Madagascar’s problems or resign

Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, speaking in Egypt after a Gaza summit, said he could not confirm the reports but stressed that “constitutional order must be preserved in Madagascar”. He added that while France understood the grievances of Malagasy youth, “those grievances should not be exploited by military factions”.

A French radio station, RFI, reported that Rajoelina may have reached a deal with Macron to facilitate his evacuation, though no official confirmation has been given by either side.

Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, the leader of Madagascar’s parliamentary opposition, told Reuters that the president had “left the country”, and that his whereabouts were unknown. “We called the staff of the presidency, and they confirmed that he left,” he said.

An opposition leader told the BBC that the army unit now “effectively runs the country”. On Monday, a faction of the gendarmerie also announced it was siding with the protesters, taking over its own headquarters in a formal ceremony attended by senior officials.

The crisis has highlighted a deep generational divide in Madagascar, a country where the median age is below 20. With about 30 million people three-quarters of whom live in poverty  the island has seen decades of political volatility and economic stagnation.

According to the World Bank, Madagascar’s GDP per capita has fallen by 45 percent since independence from France in 1960. For many of its young citizens, Rajoelina’s government symbolised unfulfilled promises and worsening living conditions.

At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces since late September, according to the United Nations.

Despite reports of his flight, Rajoelina insisted in his broadcast that he would not resign or allow “Madagascar to be destroyed”. “There is only one way to resolve these issues — that is to respect the constitution,” he said.