Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, has fired prime minister Christian Ntsay and other government officials after several days of deadly youth-led demonstrations over failing water and electricity systems.
In a national broadcast Monday, Rajoelina said the outgoing officials would remain in their posts temporarily until a replacement government is formed. He called for applications to fill the vacant positions and gave himself three days to select a new prime minister.
“Your demands have been heard, and I apologize if there are members of the government who have not done the work that the people expected,” Rajoelina said.
Although demonstrators demanded the resignation of both Ntsay and Rajoelina, the president made no clear sign of stepping aside.
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The unrest, which started on Thursday, has drawn thousands into the streets of Antananarivo and other cities. Protesters have vented their anger at constant power outages, water shortages, and worsening poverty. The marches spread quickly across social media platforms, echoing recent Gen Z-led protests in Kenya and Nepal.
The U.N. human rights office reported Monday that at least 22 people had died and more than 100 were injured during the protests, which it blamed on a “violent response” from security forces. “Some officers also used live ammunition,” the U.N. statement said, adding that police had also beaten and arrested protesters. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said he was shocked “at the violent response by security forces to the ongoing protests in Madagascar.”
Authorities in Antananarivo dispute those figures. Foreign Minister Rasata Rafaravavitafika said in a statement that “the government strongly denies” 22 deaths but offered no alternative numbers. Rajoelina expressed sympathy for those who lost loved ones without giving a toll of his own.
By Monday afternoon, crowds were back in the streets, and security forces again responded with tear gas. Over the past five days, demonstrators have set up barricades with burning tires, vandalized cable car stations in the capital, and attacked homes belonging to politicians allied with the president, AP reported.
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Nighttime curfews remain in place in Antananarivo and other major cities.
The island nation of 31 million has seen poverty deepen in recent years, with the World Bank noting steep increases in hardship in urban areas. Protesters, many young and defiant, carried placards declaring “Justice for Madagascar,” “Leo” — meaning “we’re fed up” — and “We want to live, not just survive.” Many also wore T-shirts and carried flags featuring a skull-and-bones logo from the Japanese anime series One Piece, an image recently adopted by anti-government movements elsewhere in Asia.
Rajoelina, 51, has been in power since 2019, though he previously ruled a transitional government after a coup in 2009. He won reelection in 2023 in a vote largely boycotted by the opposition.
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