Madagascar Youth Lead Protests
On Thursday, thousands of protesters took to the streets in various cities across Madagascar, while the movement in the capital, Antananarivo, decided to take a “strategic” pause after a week of demonstrations. The Indian Ocean island is now waiting for the announcement of a new prime minister, following President Andry Rajoelina’s decision to dismiss his entire government on Monday. This move was an attempt to calm the nearly daily protests that began on September 25, sparked by issues of mismanagement and ongoing water and power shortages.
The calls for Rajoelina to step down have grown louder, especially after a severe crackdown led to widespread looting, resulting in at least 22 deaths and hundreds of injuries, according to the UN—a figure the government has disputed.
On Thursday, a sea of mostly young people flooded the streets of Antsiranana, a bustling city in the north, as an AFP team observed. They waved banners boldly declaring “Rajoelina, piss off” (“Miala Rajoelina”) and labeled the President an “assassin.” Meanwhile, in the southern coastal town of Toliara, hundreds joined in, carrying a mock coffin and staging a symbolic funeral for Rajoelina.
Protests also erupted in Mahajanga and, for the first time, in Sambava, which is famous as the world’s vanilla capital and a key player in the country’s foreign exchange.
After a few days of unrest, the “Gen Z” movement spearheading the protests announced a “24-hour strategic withdrawal” in Antananarivo, aiming to safeguard the health and strength of their protesters.
The group took the opportunity to introduce their spokespeople, share their motivations, and call on more organizations to join their fight to oust Rajoelina from power.
“We are just young people ready to change the history of Madagascar,” one of the members, dressed in a polo neck and baseball cap, said in a three-minute video posted on Facebook.
“We are ready and standing for our country. We are calling you, we have a fight to lead. A fight against the destruction of our future, a fight for our descendants. We no longer deserve the Mada of today,” said another.
Nearly three-quarters of its population were living below the poverty line in 2022, according to the World Bank.
Corruption is widespread, with the country ranking 140th out of 180 in Transparency International’s index.
Madagascar Youth Lead Protests
