Madagascar leader forced to flee his country 'over fears for his life'

The President of Madagascar has fled the country fearing for his life in the wake of a military rebellion and Gen Z-led protests.

Andry Rajoelina said he was sheltering in a 'safe space' in a speech which was broadcast on social media from an undisclosed location.

In recent weeks, protests led by young people in the African island nation have called for the president to step down.

On Saturday an elite military unit joined the protests and also called for Rajoelina's resignation.

That prompted the leader to say that an illegal attempt to seize power was underway in the Indian Ocean island and leave the country.

The President was due to address the nation in a late night speech on television, but the broadcast was delayed after soldiers attempted to take control of the state broadcaster buildings, according to the president's office.

The speech was eventually broadcast on the presidency's official Facebook page but instead of on national TV. 

'I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life,' Rajoelina said in his late-night speech.

It was Rajoelina's first public comments since the CAPSAT military unit turned against his government in an apparent coup and joined thousands of protesters rallying in a main square in the capital, Antananarivo, over the weekend.

Rajoelina called for dialogue 'to find a way out of this situation' and said the constitution should be respected.

He did not say how he left Madagascar or where he was, but a report claimed he was flown out of the country on a French military plane.

A French Foreign Ministry spokesperson declined to comment on that report.

Madagascar is a former French colony and Rajoelina reportedly has French citizenship, which has been a source of discontent for some Madagascans for years.

The anti-government protests started after Madagascans became angry at chronic water shortages and electricity outages.

However, they have now grown into wider discontent with Rajoelina and his government.

It is the most significant unrest in the island nation of 31 million people off the east coast of Africa since Rajoelina himself first came to power as the leader of a transitional government following a 2009 military-backed coup.

The same elite CAPSAT military unit that rebelled against Rajoelina was prominent in him first coming to power in 2009.

Madagascar has been shaken by three weeks of deadly anti-government protests that were initially led by a group calling itself 'Gen Z Madagascar'.

The U.S. Embassy in Madagascar still advised American citizens to shelter in place because of a 'highly volatile and unpredictable' situation. 

The United Nations says the demonstrations left at least 22 people dead and dozens injured.

The UN criticised Madagascan authorities for a 'violent response' to what were largely peaceful protests in the early days of the movement. The government has disputed the number of deaths.

The demonstrators have brought up a range of issues, including poverty and the cost of living, access to tertiary education, and alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds by government officials, as well as their families and associates.

Civic groups and trade unions also joined the protests, which resulted in nighttime curfews being enforced in Antananarivo and other major cities. 

Curfews were still in effect in Antananarivo and the northern port city of Antsiranana.

The Gen Z protesters who started the uprising have mobilized over the internet and say they were inspired by the protests that toppled governments in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Madagascar has had several leaders removed in coups and has a history of political crises since it gained independence from France in 1960.

The 51-year-old Rajoelina first came to prominence as the leader of a transitional government following the 2009 coup that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to flee the country and lose power. 

Rajoelina was elected president in 2018 and re-elected in 2023 in a vote boycotted by opposition parties.

Madagascar's former prime minister under Rajoelina and one of the president's closest advisers have also fled the country and arrived in the nearby island of Mauritius in the predawn hours Sunday, the Mauritian government said. 

Mauritius said it was 'not satisfied' that the private plane had landed on its territory.