Madagascar - 2025 Protests
The head of an elite Madagascar military unit said 14 October 2025 that it had seized power, minutes after the National Assembly voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina for “desertion of duty”. Rajoelina fled the country after weeks of protest, saying he feared for his life. "We have taken power," said Colonel Michael Randrianirina, head of the CAPSAT (Corps d'armée des personnels et des services administratifs et techniques) unit, in a statement read out in front of a government building. He added that Madagascar's military was dissolving all institutions except the lower house of parliament, which had voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina just minutes before for desertion of duty.
Andry Rajoelina left Madagascar after losing support in the armed forces and following weeks of youth-led protests. He reportedly left Sunday 12 October 2025 on a French military plane. Rajoelina's departure came after he lost the backing of a key faction of the military, members of whom he accused of instigating a coup aganst him. News of the president's departure was confirmed by opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, who cited conversations with presidency staff in comments made to Reuters. "The president left the country, we called the staff of the presidency and they confirmed that he left the country," said Randrianasoloniaiko, adding that Rajoelina's whereabouts were unknown. Rajoelina's exit follows massive youth-led protests against Rajoelina in recent weeks calling on him to resign.
Protesters, organised under the banner Gen Z Madagascar, have rejected repeated government offers for talks, saying in a statement: “We do not reach out to a regime that every day crushes those who stand up for justice.” The movement, which drew inspiration from youth-led protests that toppled governments in Nepal and Sri Lanka, adopted a pirate skull and crossbones symbol from borrowed a skull-and-crossbones image from the anime, One Piece.
Rubber-bodied dreamer Monkey D. Luffy gathers an eclectic pirate crew and braves the perilous Grand Line, battling tyrants and monsters to claim the legendary "One Piece" and become King of the Pirates. Reviewers say 'One Piece' is acclaimed for its captivating narrative, vibrant characters, and imaginative world. The series excels in world-building, featuring exotic islands and diverse cultures. Character development is strong, with distinct personalities and backgrounds. Themes of friendship, loyalty, and freedom are deeply explored. The animation and art style are unique, with improved quality. The music enhances the atmosphere. Despite pacing and world-building criticisms, it remains a classic.
A renegade military unit in Madagascar has announced that it will take control of the armed forces, intensifying a crisis after the elite soldiers who once helped bring the current president to power switched sides to join antigovernment protesters. “From now on, all orders of the Malagasy army – whether land, air or [naval] – will originate from CAPSAT headquarters,” officers from the administrative and technical contingent said in a video message on 12 October 2025. military personnel from the CAPSAT, an influential army unit urged their comrades to stop following orders and instead back the youth-led uprising. “We have become bootlickers,” some members of the unit said in a video posted on social media. “We have chosen to submit and execute orders, even illegal ones, instead of protecting the population and their property.” They said “Do not obey orders from your superiors. Point your weapons at those who order you to fire on your comrades in arms because they will not take care of our families if we die”.
The declaration came hours after the presidency accused unnamed forces of attempting to overthrow President Andry Rajoelina. In a statement, the presidency said “an attempted illegal and forcible seizure of power” was under way in the African nation, without providing details. The crisis marks the gravest threat to Rajoelina’s rule since his disputed 2023 reelection, with the very soldiers who installed him through a 2009 coup now turning against him. Prime Minister Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo, the military general appointed after Rajoelina dismissed his predecessor under pressure from demonstrators, said the government was “fully ready to listen and engage in dialogue with all factions – youth, unions or the military”.
Madagascar’s army has a long history of intervening in politics during crises. Since independence in 1960, it has backed or led several power shifts, including coups in the 1970s and in 2009, when it helped oust President Marc Ravalomanana and bring reformist mayor, Rajoelina, to power.
Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, is mired in poverty, and some people blame the government for not improving conditions. Madagascar is rich in resources yet remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with 75 percent of its population of 32 million living below the poverty line in 2022, according to the World Bank. Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina, a former DJ, came to power in a 2009 coup and led a transitional authority for nearly five years before winning the presidency in 2018. He was reelected in 2023 after weeks of protests and boycotts by several opposition candidates, pledging to build a stronger, more prosperous nation through industrialization, electrification, and broader access to basic services.
Protests erupted in the Indian Ocean nation on 25 September 2025 over rolling blackouts and water shortages. Only around one-third of the population has electricity access, the IMF reports, with blackouts routinely stretching beyond eight hours daily. People don’t have refrigeration for medication, don’t have water for basic hygiene, and then there’s massive corruption.
The rotests quickly spread beyond Antananarivo, with riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds amid reports of attacks on major shopping centers and looting. Local media reported that three homes of politicians known to be close to President Andry Rajoelina were also attacked by protesters. Demonstrations continued in Antananarivo, Madagascar despite Andry Rajoelina dissolving the government in an attempt to end the unrest. ‘Gen Z’ protesters demand resignation of African nation’s leader. Demonstrators across Madagascar demanded the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina, accusing his administration of mismanagement and failures in basic services, including water and electricity.
The pirate flag seen at the Madagascar protests is a version of the Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger from the Japanese anime and manga series One Piece. Its symbolism represents the Gen Z-led protest movement's fight against systemic corruption and injustice, drawing direct parallels to the series' narrative. The protagonist of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy, is a young pirate who leads his crew against the corrupt and authoritarian "World Government." Protesters see their own fight against the Malagasy government, corruption, and mismanagement reflected in Luffy's quest.
By using a globally recognizable pop culture image, the Malagasy protesters signal their solidarity with youth-led protests in other countries, such as Nepal and Indonesia, which have also adopted the flag. To make the symbol their own, Malagasy protesters have modified the flag with a local touch. They replaced the fictional straw hat from the original manga with a satroka, a traditional bucket hat worn by Madagascar's Betsileo ethnic group. This adaptation roots a global symbol in local culture and makes it distinctively Malagasy. It indicates that while the movement is inspired by global youth activism, its focus is firmly on issues specific to Madagascar, such as persistent power and water outages and widespread poverty.
Thousands rallied again on 01 October 2025 under the youth-led ‘Gen Z Madagascar’ banner, with marches in the capital, Antananarivo, and other cities, hoisting placards reading “Rajoelina Out,” “We are poor, angry, and unhappy,” and “Madagascar is ours,” according to footage broadcast by local media. “We do not want a coup d’etat, because a coup d’etat destroys a nation,” the president’s spokesperson, Lova Ranoromaro, wrote on Facebook, adding that property had been damaged and homes ransacked during the unrest.
The violence prompted the authorities to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Antananarivo and cordoned off major streets. On 30 September 2025, the UN human rights office said at least 22 people, including bystanders, had been killed and more than 100 injured in the unrest. It accused security forces of intervening in “peaceful” marches “with unnecessary force, lobbing tear gas and beating and arresting protesters.”
Rajoelina ignored calls for his resignation by a nationwide youth-led protest movement, condemning what he perceives to be a coup plot driven by rivals. Protesters took to the streets of the capital, Antananarivo, on 03 Octobe 2025 after a “strategic” pause in the near-daily demonstrations led by a movement known as “Gen Z”, which has demanded the president’s resignation over his alleged failure to deliver basic services, including water and electricity.
The UN Human Rights Office published reports and press releases 03 October 2025, condemning the use of "unlawful and excessive force" by security officials. UN figures report at least 22 deaths and over 100 injuries since the protests started on September 25. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the UN casualty figures as “misinformation.” The African Union and the Southern African Development Community urged all sides to exercise restraint and pursue dialogue to end the violence. Rajoelina acknowledged the public anger over years of poor service delivery and said he was dissolving the government led by Prime Minister Christian Ntsay. Earlier, he dismissed his energy minister and pledged sweeping reforms to tackle the crisis.
“No one benefits from the destruction of the nation. I am here, I stand here ready to listen, ready to extend a helping hand and … to bring solutions to Madagascar,” Rajoelina said in a speech broadcast on his Facebook page. He said, without providing evidence, that some politicians were plotting to take advantage of the protests and had considered staging a coup while he was addressing the United Nations in New York last week. “What I want to tell you is that some people want to destroy our country,” he said, without naming those he alleged were behind the move.
Madagascar’s Foreign Minister Rasata Rafaravavitafika said the country faced “a massive cyberattack” and a “targeted digital manipulation campaign” launched from another country. “According to analyses by our specialised units, this operation was initially directed from abroad by an agency with advanced technological capabilities,” she said. She claimed that “opportunistic groups” had “infiltrated” the protests and aimed to “exploit the vulnerability of some of Madagascar’s young people”.
Groups of Madagascar soldiers joined youth-led protests in the capital of Antananarivo on 11 October 2025 after police used stun grenades and tear gas. The soldiers, who said that they would refuse any orders to shoot demonstrators, arrived at the heart of the gathering near the Lake Anosy area where they were welcomed with cheers. Fresh youth-led demonstrations in Antananarivo drew large crowds in one of the biggest gatherings since a protest movement erupted on the Indian Ocean island on September 25. After police used stun grenades and tear gas to try to disperse the demonstrators, soldiers arrived at the heart of the gathering near the Lake Anosy area where they were welcomed with cheers. Protesters called out "Thank you!" to the soldiers, some of whom were waving Madagascar flags, the images showed.
"Let us join forces, military, gendarmes and police, and refuse to be paid to shoot our friends, our brothers and our sisters," the soldiers at the base in Soanierana district said in a video posted on social media. They called on soldiers at the airport to "prevent all aircraft from taking off" and those in other camps to "refuse orders to shoot your friends". "Close the gates and await our instructions," they said. "Do not obey orders from your superiors. Point your weapons at those who order you to fire on your comrades-in-arms, because they will not take care of our families if we die."
The demonstrations on 11 October 2025 were the largest in several days in the youth-led movement that was sparked by anger over power and water shortages and evolved into a broader anti-government movement. It was unclear how many soldiers had joined the call. In 2009, the military base in Soanierana led a mutiny in a popular uprising that brought the current president, Andry Rajoelina, to power.
The newly appointed minister of the armed forces called on troops to "remain calm" in a press conference Saturday . "We call on our brothers who disagree with us to prioritise dialogue," Minister General Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo said. "The Malagasy army remains a mediator and constitutes the nation's last line of defence," he said.
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