Madagascar's president says he fled the country in fear for his life
after military rebellion
[October 14, 2025]
By SARAH TETAUD and GERALD IMRAY
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina
said he has fled the country in fear for his life following a military
rebellion but did not announce his resignation in a speech broadcast on
social media late Monday from an undisclosed location.
Rajoelina has faced weeks of Gen Z-led anti-government protests, which
reached a pivotal point on Saturday when an elite military unit joined
the protests and called for the president and other government ministers
to step down. That prompted Rajoelina to say that an illegal attempt to
seize power was underway in the Indian Ocean island and leave the
country.
"I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life," Rajoelina said
in his late-night speech, which was also meant to be shown on Madagascar
television but was delayed for hours after soldiers attempted to take
control of the state broadcaster buildings, according to the president's
office.
The speech was ultimately broadcast on the presidency's official
Facebook page but not on national TV.
They were Rajoelina's first public comments since the CAPSAT military
unit turned against his government in an apparent coup and joined
thousands of protesters rallying in a main square in the capital,
Antananarivo, over the weekend.
Rajoelina called for dialogue “to find a way out of this situation” and
said the constitution should be respected. He did not say how he left
Madagascar or where he was, but a report claimed he was flown out of the
country on a French military plane.
A French Foreign Ministry spokesperson declined to comment on that
report.
Madagascar is a former French colony and Rajoelina reportedly has French
citizenship, which has been a source of discontent for some Madagascans
for years.
The anti-government protests began on Sept. 25 over chronic water and
electricity outages but have snowballed into wider discontent with
Rajoelina and his government.
It is the most significant unrest in the island nation of 31 million
people off the east coast of Africa since Rajoelina himself first came
to power as the leader of a transitional government following a 2009
military-backed coup.
The same elite CAPSAT military unit that rebelled against Rajoelina was
prominent in him first coming to power in 2009.
Elite unit claims to control the military
Rajoelina hasn't identified who was behind this attempted coup, but the
CAPSAT unit has said it now controls all the armed forces in Madagascar
and has appointed a new officer in charge of the military, which was
accepted by the defense minister in Rajoelina's absence.
CAPSAT appears to be in a position of authority and also has the backing
of other military units, including the gendarmerie security forces.
A commander of CAPSAT, Col. Michael Randrianirina, said 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.
Randrianirina said his soldiers had decided to stand with protesters and
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.
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Soldiers are greeted by people gathering for a ceremony in tribute
to demonstrators killed during recent anti-government protest in
Antananarivo, Madagascar, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mamyrael)
The U.S. Embassy in Madagascar still 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.”
Weeks of protests
Madagascar has been shaken by three weeks of deadly anti-government
protests that were initially led by a group calling itself “Gen Z
Madagascar.”
The United Nations says the demonstrations left at least 22 people
dead and dozens injured and criticized Madagascan authorities for a
“violent response” to what were largely peaceful protests in the
early days of the movement. The government has disputed the number
of deaths.
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 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 the protests that toppled
governments in Nepal and Sri Lanka.
History of political crises
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 the 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.
Madagascar’s former prime minister under Rajoelina and one of the
president’s closest advisers have also fled the country and arrived
in the nearby island of Mauritius in the predawn hours Sunday, the
Mauritian government said. Mauritius said it was “not satisfied”
that the private plane had landed on its territory.
___
Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. Associated Press writer
John Leicester contributed to this report from Paris.
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