Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina announced on Monday that he was dissolving his government in response to three days of youth-led demonstrations over chronic water and power outages, during which the United Nations reports at least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured.
The protests, which began on Thursday, were inspired by recent Gen Z-led movements in Kenya and Nepal. They represent the largest unrest the Indian Ocean island has seen in years and the most serious challenge Rajoelina has faced since his 2023 re-election.
The UN human rights office condemned what it called a “violent response” by security forces, noting that casualties included both protesters and bystanders shot or beaten, alongside deaths resulting from looting and clashes with unaffiliated gangs.
In a televised address, Rajoelina said Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and other ministers would remain in office on an interim basis until a new cabinet is formed, and he invited applications for all government posts. Authorities have imposed nighttime curfews in the capital, Antananarivo, and several other major cities to contain further unrest.
“We acknowledge and apologise if members of the government have not carried out the tasks assigned to them,” Rajoelina said, vowing to improve public services and restore citizens’ trust as he seeks to defuse mounting calls for his resignation and demands for fresh elections.
Madagascar Senate building Picture by Lemurbaby
