Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has announced that he is hiding at an undisclosed location for security reasons after three weeks of mass protests sparked by water and power outages. Tens of thousands of young people have taken to the streets, and parts of the army have joined their side. An armed group’s attempt to seize the state television building disrupted the broadcast of the president’s address. Rajoelina, who came to power in a 2009 coup, accused the demonstrators of trying to repeat the scenario of those years.
Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina said late Monday that he was hiding at an undisclosed location due to threats to his safety after weeks of escalating anti-government protests.
In a 26-minute video address posted online, Rajoelina rejected calls for his resignation and proposed opening talks “to find a way out of this situation,” according to the Associated Press.
The statement came amid the third week of unrest in the island nation of more than 29 million people. According to the United Nations, 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in clashes with security forces. The unrest was triggered by water and power cuts, followed by looting and street violence. The government has disputed those figures.
Rajoelina’s whereabouts remain unknown. Over the weekend, social media rumours suggested the president had fled the country.
According to the presidency, the broadcast of his address was delayed after an armed group tried to seize control of the state-owned television station.
A resident of Antananarivo watches President Andry Rajoelina’s address to the nation from her home via the official Facebook page of Madagascar’s presidency. October 13, 2025.
A large share of the protesters are young people, drawing comparisons with recent generational movements in Nepal, Morocco and Kenya, where youth took to the streets demanding action against corruption and greater economic opportunity.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking on the sidelines of the Gaza summit in Egypt, voiced concern over the developments in the former French colony. He stressed that constitutional order must be preserved and that youth activism should not become a tool in the hands of the military or external forces.
Over the weekend, the army’s elite CAPSAT unit announced it was breaking with the government and joining the protests led by young activists.
Rajoelina, who came to power in 2009 in what the United States and the international community then described as a coup, accused the demonstrators of attempting to organise another one. On Saturday, the president’s office issued a statement asserting that both the head of state and the prime minister remained in control of the situation in the country.
The protests began on September 25, when thousands of young Malagasy citizens took to the streets over chronic water and power outages. Over time, they evolved into a nationwide movement against corruption, rising prices and poor governance. In response, authorities imposed a curfew in major cities, dissolved the cabinet and appointed a new prime minister. Yet demands for Rajoelina’s resignation have not subsided. The last presidential election in 2023, which he won, was marked by low turnout and an opposition boycott.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk last month urged security forces to refrain from “unjustified and disproportionate use of force” and reminded Madagascar’s authorities of their obligation to respect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The U.S. State Department has warned its citizens about the risks of travelling to Madagascar, noting that protests “may escalate into violence without warning.”