After Bangladesh, Nepal and Morocco - Madagascar is now the latest nation to see Gen Z protests topple its government and cause the head of state to flee for their life.
Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina, in a video addressed to the nation, claims he was forced to find a safe location in order to protect his life. Defiantly though he added that despite this he will not let anyone destroy Madagascar.
No one knows where Rajoelina is but a Reuters report quoted Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, leader of opposition in Madagascar’s parliament, saying that Rajoelina fled Madagascar on Sunday - supposedly in a French military aircraft.
Rajoelina’s desperate move came after weeks of Gen Z-led anti-government protests. The island nation’s youth had been protesting the country’s chronic water and electricity outages. But with time, the Gen Z protests snowballed into wider discontent with Rajoelina and his government over corruption and poor governance.
Rajoelina was getting boxed in but continued to believe he could salvage the situation. That was until - and you have to appreciate the irony here - he lost the support of CAPSAT - the very same elite military unit which helped him seize power in his 2009 coup.
Going forward, if the President vacates his position, the leader of Madagascar’s Senate will take over until elections are held.
It’s still an ‘if’ because, though Rajoelina fled the tiny island nation - he hasn’t resigned from his position. Which is why Gen Z protesters aren’t backing off just yet.
Remember, Madagascar, with a population of about 30 million, faces extreme poverty. A World Bank report stated that almost 70% of the population falls below the poverty threshold, placing the country among the world’s poorest nations.
