News - ‘Gen Z’ protesters demand resignation of African nation’s leader (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Demonstrators across Madagascar are demanding the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina, accusing his administration of mismanagement and failures in basic services, including water and electricity. Thousands rallied again on Wednesday 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 protests first erupted in the Indian Ocean nation last Thursday over rolling blackouts and water shortages and 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. The violence prompted the authorities to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Antananarivo and cordoned off major streets. On Monday, 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.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected the UN casualty figures as “misinformation.” The African Union and the Southern African Development Community have urged all sides to exercise restraint and pursue dialogue to end the violence. Late Monday, 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. 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.