Andry Rajoelina, the president of Madagascar, has reportedly fled the nation amid growing demonstrations and protest by Gen Z demanding his resignation.
Rajoelina was scheduled to speak to the nation on Monday at 17:30 GMT, however the address was rescheduled as a result of what he claimed was a threat from troops to take control of state media.
According to reports, this is the second time the president postponed his speech, as he has not been seen in public since last Wednesday.
Rajoelina fled Madagascar on Sunday after army forces defected and joined the demonstrators, according to Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, the leader of the opposition in parliament, who spoke to Reuters.
“We called the staff of the presidency, and they confirmed that he left the country,” Randrianasoloniaiko told Reuters.
Rajoelina left the country on a French military plane, according to a military source who spoke to Reuters. He had reached an agreement with President Emmanuel Macron, according to French radio station RFI.
The issue took a new turn when Rajoelina’s close allies, former prime minister Christian Ntsay and businessman Maminiaina Ravatomanga, took an urgent flight to Mauritius, a move that the Mauritian government verified.
The troubled president accused members of the military forces of planning a coup as they participated in the youth-led protests before leaving the nation. A few hours later, the country’s military command was taken over by the elite army unit CAPSAT.
Reports gathered revealed that soldiers were seen among joyful demonstrators in Antananarivo over the weekend, a gesture that was seen as a divide among the army.
The continuing turmoil, known as “Gen Z Madagascar,” began as demonstrations against water and electricity shortages before spreading throughout the country to protest corruption and growing living expenses.
According to the data released by the UN, no fewer than 22 people have died through, a figure the government disagreed with.
The scenario in Madagascar presents a similar pattern to the Gen Z protest that broke out in Nepal in September 2025, when demonstrators forced the prime minister to resign and set fire to the parliament.
Madagascar is going through its most unstable political period in years as the president leaves the nation.
