Madagascar President Dismisses Government Following Deadly Youth-Led Protests Over Utility Crisis

Malagasy riot police deployed tear gas during demonstrations against persistent power outages and water shortages.

In Antananarivo, Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina dismissed Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and his entire cabinet on Monday following several days of deadly protests led by young demonstrators frustrated by failing utilities in the Indian Ocean island nation.

During a televised address, Rajoelina announced that Ntsay and other officials would remain in temporary positions until a new government forms. He invited applications for government roles, establishing a three-day period to review prime minister proposals.

"I have heard your demands, and I apologize if government members have failed to deliver what citizens expected," Rajoelina stated.

While protesters had demanded both Ntsay and Rajoelina step down, the President showed no intention of resigning himself.

The demonstrations against chronic utility failures began Thursday, drawing thousands to the streets and prompting authorities to implement nighttime curfews in the capital and other major urban centers. These protests gained momentum through social media platforms, resembling recent youth-driven anti-government movements in Nepal and Kenya.

The UN human rights office reported Monday that 22 people had died in protest-related clashes, attributing the casualties to "violent response" from security forces. Additionally, over 100 people sustained injuries during the demonstrations.

According to the UN agency, while security forces killed protesters and bystanders, some deaths also resulted from violence and looting by groups unaffiliated with the demonstrators.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed shock "at the violent response by security forces to the ongoing protests in Madagascar." The UN statement noted that demonstrations began peacefully on Thursday, "but security forces intervened with unnecessary force, lobbing tear gas and beating and arresting protesters. Some officers also used live ammunition."

Foreign Minister Rasata Rafaravavitafika contested the UN's casualty count, stating "the government strongly denies" the reported 22 deaths. However, Madagascan authorities have not provided their own figures of fatalities or injuries.

Rajoelina expressed sympathy for families who lost loved ones during the unrest but similarly offered no specific death toll on Monday.

Thousands of protesters returned to streets across Antananarivo and other cities earlier Monday, prompting security forces to again disperse crowds with tear gas.

Throughout five days of demonstrations, protesters barricaded roads with burning tires and rocks. Several stations of Antananarivo's new cable car transit system were set ablaze. Local media reported attacks on homes of politicians with close ties to Rajoelina.

The government has maintained nighttime curfews in Antananarivo since Thursday and extended them to other major cities since Friday.

Madagascar, a large island nation of 31 million people off Africa's eastern coast, faces widespread poverty alongside unreliable water and electricity supplies, fueling public outrage. The World Bank has documented a significant increase in urban poverty levels across Madagascar in recent years.

Demonstrators carried flags or wore T-shirts featuring a cartoon skull and bones image from the Japanese anime "One Piece" – a symbol previously used by anti-government protesters in Nepal and Southeast Asia. Madagascan protesters displayed placards reading "Justice for Madagascar," "Leo" (meaning "we're fed up"), and "We want to live, not just survive."

Rajoelina, 51, has served as president since 2019 and previously led a provisional government following a 2009 coup. He won reelection in 2023 in a contest boycotted by most opposition candidates.