Demonstrations erupted in East Africa’s Madagascar on September 25 and have continued for five days. The protests, initiated by young people, claim inspiration from the “Z Generation Movements” in Kenya and Nepal. They express dissatisfaction with the government’s long-standing neglect of social injustice, failing infrastructure, interruptions in water and electricity supply, and hardships faced by the people.
Protesters are generally angry about poverty and the lack of reliable water and electricity supply. At the beginning of the demonstrations, thousands took to the streets, burning tires, blocking roads, and setting fire to cable stations to show their discontent. Some residences of politicians closely related to President Rajoelina were also attacked.
On Monday, protesters gathered at a university waving banners and singing the national anthem before attempting to march towards the city center, only to be dispersed by tear gas fired by the police. The government has imposed nighttime curfews in the capital and major cities.
The United Nations stated that the demonstration clashes have resulted in at least 22 deaths and over 100 injuries. The death toll includes protesters and bystanders shot by security forces, as well as people who died in subsequent violence and looting, actions often carried out by individuals or gangs unrelated to the protests.
During the protests, Malagasy youth used flags featuring popular Japanese manga “One Piece,” commonly seen in Nepalese protests, and adopted the online organizational methods from last year’s protests in Kenya to mobilize the public and amplify the demonstrations on social media.
This wave of protests inspired by the “Z Generation” protests in Kenya and Nepal is the largest in recent years for Madagascar, posing the most serious political crisis for the incumbent President Andry Rajoelina since his reelection in 2023.
President Rajoelina responded to the protests for the first time on Monday and announced the dissolution of the government on national television, apologizing to the public for the government’s failure to fulfill its duties. However, he did not resign in response to the protesters’ demands for him and Prime Minister Christian Ntsay to step down.
Rajoelina stated that Prime Minister Ntsay and other officials will remain in their positions temporarily until a new government is formed, and requested a review of candidates for the new Prime Minister within three days.
He expressed his desire to engage in dialogue with the youth and understand their anger and difficulties over long periods of power outages and water shortages. Rajoelina also pledged to assist businesses damaged during the turmoil to resume operations, saying, “I have heard the calls, felt the suffering, and understand the impact of these issues on daily life.”
Rajoelina came to power in a coup in 2009, stepped down in 2014, re-elected as president in 2018, and successfully re-elected for a third term in December 2023, though the elections were questioned for fairness by his opponents.
Madagascar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the casualty figures released by the United Nations, stating that the numbers have not been officially verified.
Madagascar is a large island off the East coast of Africa with a population of 31 million people.
(This article references reports from Reuters and the Associated Press)