Mon Oct 13 21:36:51 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Madagascar’s President Rajoelina Flees Amid Rising Protests, Unrest**

**Antananarivo, Madagascar – October 9, 2023** – President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar has left the country to an undisclosed “safe location” amidst escalating nationwide protests, according to a live Facebook address he delivered on Monday. The move follows days of turmoil marked by civilian protests, military defections, and speculation that the French government facilitated his evacuation.

Rajoelina confirmed his departure after reports surfaced that he was transported out of Madagascar on Sunday aboard a French aircraft. While he did not reveal his current whereabouts, his office stated that a planned television address was postponed due to threats against state-owned media by armed forces.

The protests, which began in late September over water and power outages, have morphed into broader demonstrations against the rising cost of living, poverty, and alleged government corruption, with many protesters demanding Rajoelina’s resignation. On Monday, hundreds of protesters, joined by members of the military and security forces, rallied in front of Antananarivo’s city hall, calling for Rajoelina to step down.

The political crisis intensified on Saturday when army units defected, an action Rajoelina condemned as an illegal power grab. The elite CAPSAT unit, instrumental in Rajoelina’s rise to power in a 2009 coup, announced it had taken control of the country’s military and would refuse orders to fire on demonstrators.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “great concern” over the situation in the former French colony. He declined to confirm or deny French involvement in Rajoelina’s departure.

The United Nations reports that at least 22 people have died in clashes between protesters and security forces since the protests began. The events in Madagascar echo a recent global trend of Gen Z-led protest movements, similar to those seen in Nepal leading to the removal of President KP Sharma Oli.

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