The president of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelinaconfirmed this Tuesday that it has hidden in a “safe place” in the face of threats against his life after weeks of bloody protests in the country due to the corruption of his Government and the inability to improve the lives of the people, affected by constant water and electricity cuts. The mobilizations have received support from a insurgent elite military unit.
“To preserve my physical integrity and avoid an altercation between the Malagasy armed forces, I had to go to a safe place,” Rajoelina said in a video broadcast on the Presidency’s page on the social network Facebook, without specifying that site. nor indicate that he has resigned from his position.
“I have a mission here: to find a solution. And since the problem is electricity, I will be in charge of receiving the groups (generators) that we will then send to Madagascar,” the president stressed. implying that it can be found outside the countrybut without making it completely clear.
Andry Rajoelina, president of Madagascar, in a file photo.
Reuters
The 51-year-old head of state emphasized that “there is only one way to resolve this crisis: respect for the Constitution of our country“Despite increasing social unrest and calls for him to resign from office, the president clung to power to, in his view, save the deeply impoverished southern African island nation.
“The various political crises have set the country back ten years in terms of development. Today I can assure you that the Malagasy people will no longer be able to endure another crisis. It’s not too late, we can remedy this situation and start a national dialogue to resolve the problems, Rajoelina added.
The video was broadcast later than planned because armed soldiers threatened to take over the state media headquarters in the capital, Antananarivo, according to the Presidency. Many had hoped that Rajoelina would resign.
The president’s message was published after the station Radio France International (RFI) reported that Rajoelina left the southeastern African island country on Sunday aboard a French military plane.
In Dubai?
The departure of Rajoelina, who has dual nationality (Malagasy and French), from the country was possible thanks to an agreement with the possible intervention of the French president, Emmanuel Macronto facilitate a peaceful solution to the serious political crisis that Madagascar is experiencing, according to said station, although the French authorities refused to make “comments” to questions from the agency Efe.
The president flew this Sunday to the island of Santa María, on the east coast of Madagascar, and from there he boarded the French military plane with destination to Reunion Islandbefore heading towards another uncertain destiny together with his family, according to RFIwhich points to Dubai as a possible place of exile.
Protesters boarded an armored vehicle.
Reuters
In a statement released on Sunday night, the Madagascar Presidency had condemned the “threats to the physical integrity” of the head of state.
In another statement, the Malagasy Presidency denounced this Sunday a coup attempt after groups of soldiers joined this Saturday with thousands of anti-government protesters who have been protesting since September 25 in the country.
An insurgent military unit, the Army Personnel and Services Administration Corps (CAPSAT), claimed this Sunday to have taken control of the Armed Forces.
Mass protests
This Saturday, after this unit asked to “disobey” any order to shoot at the population, groups of military in armored vehicles They joined thousands of protesters in a new day of massive protests in Antananarivo.
CAPSAT, based in Soanierana, on the outskirts of the capital, already participated in a coup d’état in 2009 that overthrew the then president, Marc Ravalomananaand allowed Rajoelina to come to power for the first time.
Although they initially arose to protest against the recurring water and electricity cuts, the mobilizations, promoted by young people from Generation Z, became anti-government and now demanded the resignation of Rajoelina, whose proposal for national dialogue was rejected by the organizers.
Inspired by recent youth mobilizations in countries such as Kenya and Nepal, these protests are the worst the Indian Ocean island has experienced in years and the biggest challenge facing the head of state since his re-election in 2023.