Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has fled the country, opposition leaders and security sources told Reuters on Monday, marking the second time in weeks that a wave of Gen Z–driven unrest has toppled a government.
Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, the leader of the opposition in parliament, confirmed that Rajoelina left the island nation on Sunday after elite army units defected and joined the youth-led demonstrations that have gripped the capital, Antananarivo, for nearly three weeks.
“We called the staff of the presidency and they confirmed that he left the country,” Randrianasoloniaiko said. “His whereabouts are currently unknown.”
The presidency, which had earlier announced that Rajoelina would address the nation on Monday evening, has gone silent.
A military source told Reuters that the embattled president flew out of Madagascar aboard a French military plane. French radio RFI reported that Rajoelina had struck a last-minute deal with French President Emmanuel Macron to secure safe passage.
The source described the dramatic escape:
“A French Army Casa aircraft landed in Sainte Marie airport on Sunday. Five minutes later, a helicopter arrived and transferred its passenger — Rajoelina — into the Casa.”
The demonstrations began on September 25 over chronic water and power shortages, but quickly spiraled into a nationwide revolt over corruption, bad governance, and worsening poverty.
The unrest mirrors youth-led protests elsewhere in the world, including Nepal, where the prime minister resigned last month, and Morocco, where street anger over unemployment has intensified.
Rajoelina’s downfall accelerated after losing the backing of CAPSAT, an elite army unit that had once helped him seize power in a 2009 coup.
Over the weekend, CAPSAT soldiers joined protesters, declaring they would no longer open fire on civilians. They later announced they were taking charge of the military and named a new army chief — a move that Rajoelina denounced as an attempted coup.
On Monday, a powerful faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie also switched sides, taking control of its command structure in a televised ceremony witnessed by senior officials.
In a separate move, the president of the Senate, long accused of enabling government corruption, was dismissed and replaced by Jean André Ndremanjary, who now serves as acting head of state pending elections.
Thousands filled the streets of Antananarivo again on Monday, waving national flags and chanting for Rajoelina’s formal resignation.
“In 16 years the president and his government have done nothing except enrich themselves while the people stay poor,” said Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, a 22-year-old hotel worker earning about $67 a month. “And the youth, the Gen Z, suffer the most.”
At least 22 people have been killed and dozens wounded since protests erupted, according to the United Nations.
Home to nearly 30 million people, Madagascar has one of the world’s youngest populations — the median age is under 20 — and one of its highest poverty rates.
According to the World Bank, three-quarters of Malagasy citizens live in poverty, with GDP per capita plunging 45% since independence from France in 1960.
Although the country is famed for its vanilla exports, its economy also depends on nickel, cobalt, textiles, and shrimp, industries now disrupted by the unrest.
With the presidency vacant and the military split, Madagascar faces an uncertain future. Analysts warn of possible power struggles between opposition leaders, the army, and remnants of the ruling elite — or a potential French-brokered transition.
For now, Madagascar joins a growing list of nations shaken by youth-led uprisings, as the global wave of Gen Z unrest continues to challenge entrenched political orders.
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