Madagascar’s President, Rajoelina flees country amid coup threat

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has announced that he fled the country to avoid being assassinated, following growing unrest and divisions within the military.

In a Facebook broadcast on Monday, Mr. Rajoelina said he had been the target of multiple assassination and coup attempts since September 25.

“Since 25 September, there have been attempts on my life and coup attempts. A group of military personnel and politicians planned to assassinate me,” he said.

The president did not disclose his current location but added, “I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life. There is only one way to resolve these issues, and that is to respect the constitution currently in force.”

According to a Reuters report citing a military source, Mr. Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday aboard a French military aircraft. French radio network RFI also reported that he had reached an agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron prior to his departure.

The report stated that a French Army Casa aircraft landed at Sainte Marie airport on Sunday. Minutes later, a helicopter arrived and transferred its passenger believed to be Mr. Rajoelina onto the plane before it took off.

Mr. Rajoelina’s statement comes amid intensifying protests that have rocked Madagascar for three consecutive weeks.

The demonstrations, which began on September 25 over severe water and electricity shortages, have since evolved into widespread calls for the president’s resignation. Despite police crackdowns and the president’s appeals for dialogue, protests have continued across the country.

Before reports emerged of Mr. Rajoelina’s flight, CAPSAT a key military unit involved in the 2019 coup declared its support for the protesters.

In a video released on Sunday, the unit’s members urged other security forces not to “blindly follow unlawful orders,” reminding them that they “come from the people and must serve the people.”

In an attempt to calm the unrest, Mr. Rajoelina dismissed his cabinet, asking citizens to grant him one more year to resolve the energy and water crises.

He also pledged to resign if the issues remained unresolved. However, his promises have done little to quell the anger, and protesters have continued to occupy the streets, bringing much of the country’s commercial activity to a halt.

Since the protests began, more than 20 people have been killed.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned the violence, expressing “shock at the violent response by security forces to the ongoing protests.”

He urged authorities to uphold the rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.