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Former Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has been stripped of his citizenship after he was ousted during a military takeover just over a week ago. Rajoelina, whose whereabouts remain unknown after he fled the country following protests that demanded his resignation, also holds French citizenship. The country's new prime minister, Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, has signed a decree invoking laws which strip all Madagascans of their citizenship if they have citizenship of another country. Rajoelina's possession of French nationality had previously caused a debate about his eligibility to run for the presidency in the 2023 polls, an election he won. He fled the country at the height of youth-led protests, which brought thousands into the streets in several cities and initially sparked a harsh crackdown by security forces that left 22 people dead and more than 100 injured, according to the United Nations. At the time, he said he feared for his life, and addressed the nation from an unk
Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina said he fled the country in fear for his life following a military rebellion but did not announce his resignation in a speech broadcast on national television late Monday from an undisclosed location. Rajoelina has faced weeks of Gen Z-led anti-government protests, which reached a pivotal point on Saturday when an elite military unit joined the protests and called for the president and other government ministers to step down. That prompted Rajoelina to say that an illegal attempt to seize power was underway in the Indian Ocean island and to leave the country. "I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life," Rajoelina said in his late-night speech, which was delayed for hours after soldiers attempted to take control of the state broadcaster buildings, the president's office said. They were Rajoelina's first public comments since the CAPSAT military unit turned against his government in an apparent coup and joined thousands of protesters ...
An attempted coup is underway in the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, the country's president said on Sunday. A statement from President Andry Rajoelina's office said it wishes to inform the nation and the international community that an attempt to seize power illegally and by force has been initiated. The statement did not immediately identify who was attempting to overthrow the government, but members of the armed forces joined youth-led protests against Rajoelina on Saturday. The protests against service failures and alleged government corruption and nepotism have been going on since Sept. 25.
About 1,000 protesters marched in Madagascar's capital on Thursday and clashed with police who used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse them in parts of the city. The violence marked the third week of what has been the most significant unrest in years in the Indian Ocean island nation. Police could be seen patrolling the streets of Antananarivo in armoured cars and charging at protesters, most of them wearing masks. It wasn't immediately clear if there were any injuries. The protests, led by a group calling itself Gen Z Madagascar, are the latest in a series of demonstrations that the United Nations says has left 22 people dead and dozens injured. The government has disputed this number. The protests were first sparked by water and power cuts but soon expanded to include frustrations over allegations of corruption and nepotism. The protests led Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina to fire his entire Cabinet, but this has failed to appease the young people, who are now calling
Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina fired the prime minister and the rest of his government Monday in response to days of deadly Gen Z-led protests in the Indian Ocean island over the failure of the electricity and water supplies. Rajoelina said in a speech on national television that Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and other government officials would stay on an interim basis until a new government is formed. He invited applications for government positions and gave a three-day time frame to review proposals for a new prime minister. Your demands have been heard, and I apologise if there are members of the government who have not done the work that the people expected, Rajoelina said. The protesters had called for the resignation of both Ntsay and Rajoelina, but Rajoelina gave no indication that he would step down. The protests against chronic electricity and water cuts began on Thursday and drew thousands onto the streets, prompting the government to order nighttime curfews in t
At least 12 people died in a crush at a stadium in Madagascar on Friday as sports fans gathered for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games, local media reported. The reports said Prime Minister Christian Ntsay announced the deaths. He said around 80 others had been injured, 11 of them critically. Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina was at the ceremony at Mahamasina Stadium in the capital, Antananarivo, and asked the crowd to observe a few moments of silence for the dead, the reports said. The stadium, which is built to hold around 41,000 people, has been the site of deadly crushes before. One person died and at least 37 were injured in a crush ahead of a qualifying game for the African Cup of Nations soccer tournament between Madagascar and Senegal in 2018. In 2019, at least 15 people died in a stampede at a music concert at the stadium. The Indian Ocean Island Games is a multi-sports event featuring nations from the region. Athletes from Comoros, Maldives, Mautirti