Madagascar’s President Reportedly Flees Amid Widespread Gen Z Protests and CAPSAT Military Defections

According to opposition figures and various official sources, Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has reportedly fled the country following weeks of Gen Z Protests and defection of CAPSAT military forces. The riot is the most recent beginning of a new movement of protest worldwide questioning established political regimes by the youth.

The head of the opposition party in Madagascar parliament, Siteny Randrianasolinho, told Reuters that Rajoelina had fled the country on Sunday after various army units shifted to the protestors. The president is out of town; Randrianasolonio reported that the presidential staff confirmed the departure of the president, but they are yet to know where he is.

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The office of Rajoelina that had given notice that the president would make an address to the nation on Monday evening has not reacted to media questions or given any clarification regarding his position.

Taking Off on French Military Aircraft

According to a high ranking military official, Rajoelina left Madagascar in a French military plane. The source says that a French Army Casa was landed at Sainte Marie Airport on Sunday, followed by landing of a helicopter and transfer of a passenger (presumed to be Rajoelina) to the plane. French Radio International (RFI), reported later that Rajoelina even had an agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron before his departure.

The Gen Z Protests, that started on September 25, had been initially triggered by the intense water and electricity cuts but soon escalated to encompass wider protests against corruption, bad governance, and shortage of necessary services to the people. These complaints are mostly fueled by the young generation, which is symptomatic of a global youth riot. This has been preceded by similar protests that have created political unrest in places like Nepal and Morocco.

Loss of Military Support

The stance of Rajoelina was seriously undermined during the weekend after CAPSAT – an elite army unit that helped him to ascend to power in 2009 – announced that it was on the side of the protesters. The unit had no intention to deploy force on protestors but instead accompanied thousands of protestors into the central square of Antananarivo. CAPSAT later declared that it would take over the military and the new army chief, which made Rajoelina threaten, terming it as an attempted coup.

On Monday a group of the paramilitary gendarmerie also joined the protesters taking over command officially in the presence of the senior government officials. Meanwhile, the Senate declared that its president, a person who had come to be scapegoat of popular anger, was ousted and Jean Andre Ndremanjary was declared an interim leader. According to the constitution of Madagascar, the person who holds the presidency of the Senate becomes the president in case the head of state is not able to attend to his position until a time when elections can be held.

Social Protest and Demanding Dissatisfaction

On Monday, thousands of protestors came out to the main square of Antananarivo shouting that Rajoelina should resign. Most of them mentioned poor living conditions, low wages and lack of action by the government as the driving force.

Reuters has reported that a 22-year-old hotel employee, Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, earns a monthly salary of 300,000 ariary (about 67) which is barely enough to get him food. He explained that 16 years down the line, the governments that had exercised power had been working on how to get wealthier at the expense of the masses especially the young people.

According to the United Nations, since the protests started, at least 22 individuals have lost their lives as protesters clash with the security forces.

A Nation in Crisis

Madagascar, a small island state located off the south eastern coast of Africa and inhabited by about 30 million people, has a profound economic crisis. The world bank states that close to three-quarters of its citizens are languishing in poverty with its per capita GDP declining by 45 percent since independence in 1960. Having a median age of less than 20, the youth of the country are the most promising but also most frustrated group.

Although Madagascar is recognized the world over as the most prolific producer of vanilla, the economy is also dependent on export products of nickel, cobalt, textiles and shrimp. The instability that exists today has led to the fear of additional economic deterioration and enough uncertainty as to the political future of the country.

Whether the political institutions can be under the pressure of a generation of people who need a real change, that is the question as the situation unfolds in Madagascar.