Protesters situation president 24-hour ultimatum to ‘reply favourably’ to calls for, threatening ‘all vital measures’.
Printed On 3 Oct 2025
Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina has ignored requires his resignation by a nationwide youth-led protest motion, condemning what he perceives to be a coup plot pushed by rivals.
Protesters took to the streets of the capital, Antananarivo, on Friday after a “strategic” pause within the near-daily demonstrations led by a motion generally known as “Gen Z”, which has demanded the president’s resignation over his alleged failure to ship fundamental providers, together with water and electrical energy.
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At the least 22 individuals have been killed for the reason that protests began on September 25, based on the United Nations. On Friday, police fired tear gasoline to disperse marchers within the capital, footage from Actual TV Madagasikara confirmed.
“Nobody advantages from the destruction of the nation. I’m right here, I stand right here able to hear, prepared to increase a serving to hand and … to convey options to Madagascar,” Rajoelina mentioned in a speech broadcast on his Fb web page.
He mentioned, with out offering proof, that some politicians have been plotting to benefit from the protests and had thought of staging a coup whereas he was addressing the United Nations in New York final week.
“What I wish to inform you is that some individuals wish to destroy our nation,” he mentioned, with out naming these he alleged have been behind the transfer.
The Gen Z motion rejected Rajoelina’s speech as “mindless”, promising to take “all vital measures” if the president didn’t “reply favourably” inside 24 hours to its calls for.
There have been additionally protests within the northern coastal metropolis of Mahajanga and within the southern cities of Toliara and Fianarantsoa.
‘Opportunistic teams’
Madagascar is wealthy in assets but stays one of many world’s poorest nations, with 75 % of its inhabitants of 32 million dwelling beneath the poverty line in 2022, based on the World Financial institution.
The current unrest compelled Rajoelina to sack his authorities on Monday and invite dialogue. In a put up on his X account on the finish of the week, he mentioned he had additionally met numerous teams for the previous three days to debate the scenario.
Madagascar’s Overseas Minister Rasata Rafaravavitafika mentioned the nation confronted “an enormous cyberattack” and a “focused digital manipulation marketing campaign” launched from one other nation.
“In accordance with analyses by our specialised items, this operation was initially directed from overseas by an company with superior technological capabilities,” she mentioned.
She claimed that “opportunistic teams” had “infiltrated” the protests and aimed to “exploit the vulnerability of a few of Madagascar’s younger individuals”.
Rajoelina, the previous mayor of Antananarivo, first got here to energy in 2009 following a coup sparked by an rebellion that deposed former President Marc Ravalomanana.
After sitting out the 2013 election beneath worldwide stress, he was voted again into workplace in 2018 and re-elected in 2023.
