Military Coup in Madagascar Forces President Rajoelina to Flee the Country

Madagascar has been thrown into turmoil after a military coup forced President Andry Rajoelina to flee the country. The embattled leader is the Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman. He reportedly escaped the State House early Sunday morning. This followed massive youth-led demonstrations over poor governance. The protestors were also opposing economic hardship.

Thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Antananarivo. They demanded Rajoelina’s resignation. The protesters accused his government of corruption, mismanagement, and neglect of essential services. In

In a dramatic turn of events, the Madagascar Armed Forces refused to fire on demonstrators. Instead, they took control of key government installations. They declared an end to Rajoelina’s rule.

The country is destroyed, the lives of the population are in disarray because nothing works due to water and electricity cuts,” said the soldiers in a video statement broadcast nationwide.

They further condemned the government’s handling of national affairs, saying, “We, the military, no longer do our job; we are merely bootlickers. We have been following irrational orders.”The video concluded with a unifying message: “Let us come together — soldiers, police, gendarmes — and refuse to be bought to shoot at our brothers, our sisters, and the children of the people.”

The coup marks the second military takeover in Southern Africa in less than a decade, following the 2017 ousting of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. Regional leaders under SADC are yet to issue a formal statement, but diplomatic sources indicate emergency consultations are underway to stabilize the situation.