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Mass protests have swept across Madagascar, with police firing tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators in the capital, Antananarivo, as well as eight other cities.
The rallies, driven by a “Gen Z” movement, erupted last Thursday in response to persistent power and water shortages.
President Andry Rajoelina dissolved his government on Monday, dismissing the prime minister and all ministers, but this move failed to placate protesters, who returned to the streets on Tuesday after calls circulated on social media. The protesters, disappointed by the president’s address, demanded a full apology and accountability for deaths caused by security forces.
The unrest has prompted a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the capital amid reports of looting and escalating violence. According to the United Nations, at least 22 people have died and 100 have been injured since the protests began, though the Government has rejected these figures as “misinformation.”
The UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, condemned the use of excessive force, citing beatings, live ammunition, and arbitrary arrests, and urged the security forces to exercise restraint. Tear gas and rubber bullets were deployed on Tuesday to scatter protesters gathering near roadblocks, underscoring the authorities’ hardline response.
The demonstrations reflect deep-seated frustrations with governance and infrastructure failures, marking the most serious challenge to Rajoelina’s leadership since his re-election in 2023. Although the president has opened the door for dialogue with young people and pledged to appoint a new government within three days, many protesters remain sceptical. Their movement insists on structural change, not interim solutions.
Echoing Madagascar’s history of political upheaval since independence in 1960, including the 2009 uprising that brought Rajoelina to power, this new wave of protests signals a generation unwilling to accept half measures in their demand for accountability and reform.
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