President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, has revealed he is sheltering in a “safe place” after an attempt on his life, following weeks of protests calling for him to resign.
In a live broadcast on Facebook to the nation, the 51-year-old said, “a group of military personnel and politicians planned to assassinate me”.
Rajoelina chose not to reveal his location, yet some local reports earlier alleged that he had fled the country on a French military aircraft. This comes after a fortnight of nationwide protests, mainly led by young demonstrators, aimed at kicking him out of power.
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Failed attempts to placate the young protesters, dubbed “Gen Z Mada,” led to Rajoelina sacking his entire government and making other concessions, to no avail.
Reports indicate that there’s been no sight of him since Wednesday, and at the weekend, Rajoelina’s office stated that an attempt was under way to force him from power.
His address to the nation was delayed many times on Monday amid the chaos, as soldiers threatened to seize the state TV headquarters in the Indian Ocean island.
Eventually, in the Facebook broadcast he said: “Since 25 September, there have been attempts on my life and coup attempts. A group of military personnel and politicians planned to assassinate me. I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life.”
“There is only one way to resolve these issues; that is to respect the constitution in force in the country”.
Just this past weekend, CAPSAT, a powerful army unit that helped install Rajoelina into power in 2009, moved to undermine him by declaring it was now in command of all the armed forces.
This occurrence unfolded while some of its officers joined protesters on the streets of the capital, Antananarivo.
After a meeting of military commanders on Monday, the new Chief of Army Staff installed by CAPSAT, Gen Demosthene Pikulas, assured the public that the security forces were working together to maintain order in the island nation.
A statement from the presidency stated that by Monday evening, the general was at state TV headquarters trying to resolve the crisis.
According to the BBC, a senior leader in Madagascar’s largest opposition party, TIM, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Madagascar was now effectively being run by the army unit.
The TIM party has also revealed that it plans to bring impeachment proceedings against Rajoelina for “abandonment of post”.
On Monday, France President Emmanuel Macron refused to confirm Rajoelina had been evacuated by a French military aircraft, yet he stated that the “constitutional order” must be preserved in Madagascar.
“We have a youth that has expressed itself, that is politicized, that wants to live better and that is a very good thing,” Macron told reporters in Egypt. “We just need to make sure that it is not taken over by military factions or foreign interference.”
The head of the African Union’s security council has shared a similar sentiment regarding the matter, stating the organization firmly rejected any “unconstitutional change of government”.
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The entourage of president Rajoelina, including the likes of former Prime Madagascar Minister Christian Ntsay and the businessman Maminiaina Ravatomanga, have reportedly fled to nearby Mauritius.
