Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina said on Monday he was dissolving the government following youth-led protests over water and power cuts in which the United Nations says at least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured.
Inspired by the so-called 'Gen Z' protests in Kenya and Nepal, the three days of demonstrations are the largest the Indian Ocean island has seen in years, and the most serious challenge Rajoelina has faced since his re-election in 2023.
"We acknowledge and apologise if members of the government have not carried out the tasks assigned to them," Rajoelina said in speech on state broadcaster Televiziona Malagasy (TVM).
The president said he wanted to create space for dialogue with young people, and promised measures to support businesses affected by looting.
"I understand the anger, the sadness, and the difficulties caused by power cuts and water supply problems. I heard the call, I felt the suffering, I understood the impact on daily life," he said.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the casualties include protesters and bystanders killed by members of the security forces, but also others killed in subsequent widespread violence and looting by individuals and gangs not associated with the protesters.
Madagascar's ministry of foreign affairs rejected the casualty figures reported by the UN, saying the data did not come from competent national authorities "and are based on rumors or misinformation."
On Monday protesters gathered at a university where they waved placards and sang the national anthem before attempting to march towards the city centre, footage from 2424.MG news channel showed.
Police fired teargas to disperse the crowd, after authorities declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew last week.
The protesters have adapted a flag used in Nepal where protesters forced the prime minister to resign this month and have also used similar online organisation tactics as protests in Kenya last year that culminated in the government scrapping proposed tax legislation.
Rajoelina first came to power in a 2009 coup. He stepped down in 2014 but became president again after winning the 2018 election, and secured a third term in a December 2023 poll that his challengers said was marred by irregularities.
China accused Britain of lacking “credibility and ethics” after the UK government once again postponed a decision on Beijing’s proposal to build...
Nexperia’s China unit has told its employees to follow directives from local management and disregard instructions from the company’s Dutch head o...
Russia said that its Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had a “constructive” conversation as they began pr...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke to his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty in a telephone conversation over the weekend where issues of ...
The Communist Party of China has opened the fourth plenary session of its 20th Central Committee in Beijing, as Xi Jinping outlined the country’s ac...
China accused Britain of lacking “credibility and ethics” after the UK government once again postponed a decision on Beijing’s proposal to build a new embassy in London.
Nexperia’s China unit has told its employees to follow directives from local management and disregard instructions from the company’s Dutch head office, marking a rare public split between a multinational firm and its overseas subsidiary.
Russia said that its Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had a “constructive” conversation as they began preparations for an upcoming summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke to his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty in a telephone conversation over the weekend where issues of mutual interest discussed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
China accused Britain of lacking “credibility and ethics” after the UK government once again postponed a decision on Beijing’s proposal to build a new embassy in London.
Nexperia’s China unit has told its employees to follow directives from local management and disregard instructions from the company’s Dutch head office, marking a rare public split between a multinational firm and its overseas subsidiary.
Russia said that its Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had a “constructive” conversation as they began preparations for an upcoming summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke to his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty in a telephone conversation over the weekend where issues of mutual interest discussed.
The Communist Party of China has opened the fourth plenary session of its 20th Central Committee in Beijing, as Xi Jinping outlined the country’s achievements over the past five years and presented the draft framework for the next phase of national development.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment