Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina on Friday dismissed his energy minister, seeking to stem mounting unrest over crippling power cuts and water shortages.
The decision followed violent protests in Antananarivo, where police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse furious crowds of mostly young demonstrators.
Rajoelina denounced the unrest as “acts of destabilisation” resembling a coup attempt, issuing his first on-camera remarks since the violence erupted Thursday.
Protest organisers urged citizens to gather peacefully on Saturday morning, distancing themselves from looting that left shops, banks, and lawmakers’ homes burned.
Anger has deepened over electricity blackouts lasting more than 12 hours a day, leaving families and businesses struggling across the impoverished island nation.
Authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew after five protesters were killed, though the toll has not been confirmed by official sources.
Antananarivo’s new cable car station, a flagship government project, was torched, symbolising the clash between costly infrastructure and neglected daily essentials.
Beyond the capital, curfews were extended to Antsiranana, Majunga, Toliara, and Antsirabe as unrest spread and tension gripped major Malagasy cities.
In Antsiranana, hundreds of young people marched carrying a slain student’s body, images circulating widely across social media platforms on Friday.
Embassies warned of escalating disorder, with France urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel and Britain cautioning unrest could spread nationwide.
Rajoelina admitted the dismissed minister “was not doing his job,” while condemning looting that scarred streets and rattled confidence in his rule.
The 51-year-old leader, re-elected last year in a disputed ballot marked by low turnout, faces renewed anger over failing living conditions.
Rajoelina first seized power in 2009 during a coup-backed uprising, later returning through elections, but now confronts public fury testing his mandate.