Madagascar's president flees after soldiers turned against him, opposition lawmaker says

Audio By Carbonatix

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina left the country after an elite military unit turned against the government in an apparent coup that followed weeks of youth-led protests, an opposition lawmaker in the Indian Ocean country said Monday.

The lawmaker's comments came shortly before Rajoelina was due to appear on national television and radio to make a speech to the people of Madagascar. The president’s office said his speech was scheduled to be broadcast at 7 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), but was delayed after a group of soldiers attempted to take over the state broadcaster.

His office didn’t say if he was still in Madagascar amid reports he had fled on Sunday on a French military plane.

The anti-government protests, which were initially led by Gen-Z demonstrators, began on Sept. 25 but reached a turning point on Saturday when soldiers from the elite CAPSAT military unit accompanied protesters to a square in the capital, Antananarivo, and called for Rajoelina and several government ministers to step down.

The unit, which helped Rajoelina first come to power as transitional leader in a military-backed coup in 2009, said that it had taken charge of all the armed forces in Madagascar.

Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, the leader of the opposition in parliament, said that Rajoelina “ran away” from the country after soldiers turned against him.

Rajoelina’s office had said Sunday that “an attempt to seize power illegally and by force” was underway in the nation of 31 million off the east coast of Africa. He has not appeared in public since the revolt by soldiers and his current whereabouts are unknown.

A spokesperson for the president didn’t respond to phone calls and messages.

Following a report that France had flown Rajoelina and his family out of Madagascar on one of its military planes, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux declined to comment.

Madagascar is a former French colony. Rajoelina reportedly has French citizenship, a source of discontent among Madagascans.

Madagascar's former prime minister under Rajoelina and one of the president's closest advisors had left the country and arrived in the nearby island of Mauritius in the predawn hours of Sunday, the Mauritian government said, adding it was “not satisfied” that the private plane had landed on its territory.

Rajoelina hasn’t identified who was behind the attempted coup, but the CAPSAT military unit appeared to be in a position of authority and on Sunday appointed a general as the new head of Madagascar’s armed forces, which was accepted by the defense minister.

A commander of CAPSAT, Col. Michael Randrianirina, said that his soldiers had exchanged gunfire with security forces who were attempting to quell weekend protests, and one of his soldiers was killed. But there was no major fighting on the streets, and soldiers riding on armored vehicles and waving Madagascar flags were cheered by people in Antananarivo.

Randrianirina said that the army had “responded to the people’s calls,” but denied there was a coup. Speaking at the country’s military headquarters on Sunday, he told reporters that it was up to the Madagascan people to decide what happens next, and if Rajoelina leaves power and a new election is held.

The U.S. Embassy in Madagascar advised American citizens to shelter in place because of a “highly volatile and unpredictable” situation. The African Union urged all parties, “both civilian and military, to exercise calm and restraint.”

Madagascar has been shaken by three weeks of the most significant unrest in years. The anti-government protests, which erupted over water and electricity outages, were led by a group calling itself “Gen Z Madagascar.” The United Nations says the demonstrations left at least 22 people dead and dozens injured. The government has disputed this number.

The protests snowballed into larger dissatisfaction with the government and the leadership of Rajoelina. The demonstrators have brought up a range of issues, including poverty and the cost of living, access to tertiary education, and alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds by government officials, as well as their families and associates.

Civic groups and trade unions have also joined the protests, which resulted in nighttime curfews being enforced in Antananarivo and other major cities. Curfews were still in effect in Antananarivo and the northern port city of Antsiranana.

The Gen Z protesters, who started the uprising, have mobilized over the internet and say they were inspired by other protests that toppled governments in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Madagascar has had several leaders removed in coups and has a history of political crises since it gained independence from France in 1960.

The 51-year-old Rajoelina first came to prominence as the leader of a transitional government following a 2009 coup that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to flee the country and lose power. Rajoelina was elected president in 2018 and reelected in 2023 in a vote boycotted by opposition parties.

___

Gerald Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. John Leicester contributed to this report from Paris.

___

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa