The youth-driven movement at the heart of Madagascar’s anti-government unrest has rejected President Andry Rajoelina’s appeal for dialogue and announced a nationwide strike for Thursday. Nearly two weeks of near-daily demonstrations have rocked the impoverished island nation since September 25, leaving at least 22 people dead, according to a UN tally disputed by local officials.
Anger over persistent power and water shortages first ignited the protests, now swelling into a broader revolt against corruption and state neglect. Rajoelina, seeking to quell the turmoil, dismissed his cabinet last week and on Monday appointed an army general as prime minister. He convened a public meeting at the presidential palace on Wednesday, urging citizens to voice their grievances.
But the Gen Z Mada movement leading the protests boycotted what it denounced as a “sham dialogue,” accusing authorities of repression and humiliation of youth. A lone student leader who attended the meeting delivered a fiery rebuke to the president, saying poverty had deepened due to corruption and neglect. His words drew the loudest applause from the crowd of a thousand.
Rajoelina promised to resign if electricity outages in the capital persist beyond a year, while vowing to restore calm through newly appointed ministers in charge of defence, public security, and police. Protest leaders saw the reshuffle as a provocation, calling for renewed demonstrations in Antananarivo. Their list of demands includes a public apology for state violence, reform of the Constitutional Court, and the removal of Senate President Richard Ravalomanana.
Madagascar, home to 32 million people and the world’s largest vanilla producer, remains one of the poorest nations on earth, its streets once again echoing with the rhythm of revolt.