Madagascar's president has declared the dissolution of his government after days of youth-led protests over chronic water and power outages. In a televised address, Andry Rajoelina acknowledged the government's failures, stating, We apologize if members of the government have not carried out their tasks effectively. Thousands of primarily Gen Z demonstrators have marched across multiple cities since Thursday, expressing their frustration with the rallying cry, We want to live, not survive.
The unrest escalated into violence, resulting in at least 22 deaths and over 100 injuries, prompting the UN's human rights chief to condemn the excessive force employed by security forces against the protesters. The response to the demonstrations highlights the disillusionment of the youth in Madagascar with the government's handling of essential services.
Initially, peaceful protests began in the capital Antananarivo but soon spread to eight cities following an imposition of a nocturnal curfew. Despite the president's previous decision to dismiss the energy minister for incompetence, protesters continued to demand broader governmental changes. Rajoelina vowed to engage in dialogues with the youth during his speech while outlining a plan to form a new government, inviting applications for a new prime minister within the next three days.
Regrettably, the protests have been marred by violence, leading to a mix of legitimate grievances amongst demonstrators and reports of coordinated attacks against public figures and property, raising questions about who is truly behind the chaos. The government's rejection of death toll figures provided by the UN, alleging misinformation, further complicates the narrative. This unrest represents one of the most significant challenges Rajoelina has confronted since his recent reelection and adds another chapter to Madagascar's turbulent political history.
