Madagascar anti-government protesters take to the streets for third week

In Madagascar, anti-government demonstrations have resurrected, with demonstrators requesting the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina.

On Monday, the capital’s Antananarivo streets saw the start of a third week in a row of protests. Police used tear gas at demonstrators. The unrest started with water and electricity cuts, but it spread to Rajoelina’s administration in a wider anti-government outburst.

Local TV stations in the cities of Toliara and Antsiranana, also known as Diego Suarez, have broadcast footage of protesters confronting police in cities across the nation.

A Reuters reporter reported that police in Antananarivo shot tear gas at the protesters, the majority of whom were university students.

The government’s rejection of the figures came on Monday from the United Nations, which stated that 22 people had been killed and more than 100 had been injured since the protests started.

On September 25, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the capital to erect barricades using rocks and tyres.

Gen Z Madagascar, a social media youth organization that describes itself as a “peaceful, civic movement,” organized them. Organisers claim to have influenced youth movements in Morocco and Nepal.

According to the International Monetary Fund, about a third of Madagascar’s 30 million people have electricity access. The state energy company Jirama has been accused of corruption and mismanagement, which has fueled public outcry, and daily power cuts frequently last longer than eight hours.

According to Ketakandriana Rafitoson, the global vice chair of Transparency International, “people don’t have refrigeration for medication, don’t have water for basic hygiene, and then there’s massive corruption.”

These protests were caused by “violent grievances that transcend daily life,” the statement goes on.

After police used rubber bullets and tear gas, the protests sprang into chaos as they spread throughout Antananarivo. Some lawmakers’ homes were damaged, and shops were raided.

Authorities put an overnight curfew in place to stop people from gathering in the evenings after the first night of protests.

Since then, there have been numerous demonstrations that have expanded into a movement that aims to address public dissatisfaction with Rajoelina’s administration’s performance.

In a 2009 military coup, Rajoelina, 51, personally campaigned for reform. He was elected in 2018 despite a brief resignation in 2014 and re-elected in 2018.

According to experts, he is now facing the biggest challenge to his rule in a long time as a former media tycoon. Rajoelina attempted to appease the protesters by firing his cabinet last week.

Attempts to engage demonstrators have been repeatedly rebuffed, according to a government spokesperson.

No clear or organized leadership has reportedly emerged to engage in constructive discussions, the spokesperson said.