Madagascar President dissolves government amid “Gen Z” protests
New Delhi, Sep 30: Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, has dissolved his government following three days of youth-led protests over power outages and water shortages that left at least 22 people dead, according to the UN. More than 100 others have been injured, reports Guardian. The demonstrations, inspired by recent “Gen Z” protests in Kenya and Nepal, mark the biggest challenge to Rajoelina since his disputed re-election in 2023. Thousands of mostly young protesters, many dressed in black, marched in the capital Antananarivo demanding his resignation.
In a televised address, Rajoelina apologised for government failings, saying he understood “the anger, the sadness, and the difficulties caused by power cuts and water supply problems.”
He announced that applications for a new prime minister would be accepted over the next three days as part of a broader government reshuffle. Security forces responded forcefully, firing teargas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. The UN’s human rights office accused them of contributing to the death toll, though Madagascar’s foreign ministry disputed the figures, calling them “rumours or misinformation.”
The protests have adopted tactics and even symbols from youth uprisings abroad, including the flag used by demonstrators in Nepal earlier this month. Organisers have relied heavily on social media to mobilise, echoing Kenya’s online-driven youth movement of 2024. Rajoelina, who first seized power in a 2009 coup, has faced repeated popular uprisings during his political career. Madagascar, one of the world’s poorest nations, has a long history of turbulent politics and mass street demonstrations.
