Cynthia Ezegwu
Protesters in Madagascar planned fresh demonstrations on Tuesday, a day after President Andry Rajoelina dismissed his entire government in an attempt to quell growing unrest that has reportedly left at least 22 people dead.
The protests, largely led by young people inspired by “Gen Z” movements in Indonesia and Nepal, have targeted entrenched misgovernance and public grievances over repeated water and power shortages across the island nation.
Speaking Monday, Rajoelina vowed to address the nation’s problems, saying, “When the Malagasy people suffer, I want you to know that I feel that pain too, and I have not slept, day or night, in my efforts to find solutions and improve the situation.”
However, his announcement did little to halt the demonstrations, with organisers calling for a rally in the capital at 11:00 am (0800 GMT) on Tuesday. Previous protests have been met with a strong police response. According to United Nations reports, at least 22 people have died and more than 100 were injured, though the government dismissed these figures as unverified and “based on rumours.”
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Last week’s unrest in Antananarivo was followed by widespread looting during the night. Protesters have voiced frustration over being silenced, with one student saying, “They call us the TikTok generation, a generation of idiots, and when we rise up, they won’t even let us speak.”
Rajoelina, a former mayor of Antananarivo, initially came to power following a coup that ousted former president Marc Ravalomanana. After refraining from the 2013 election due to international pressure, he was re-elected in 2018.
Despite being the world’s leading producer of vanilla, Madagascar remains one of the poorest countries globally, with the youth-led protests highlighting widespread discontent over governance and public services.