Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has announced the dissolution of his cabinet after several days of nationwide protests led mainly by young people, angry over persistent shortages of electricity and water.
“We acknowledge and apologise if members of the government have not carried out the tasks assigned to them,” Rajoelina said in a televised address on Monday.
The rallies, known as the Gen Z protests, have drawn thousands of mostly young citizens into the streets of Madagascar’s cities since Thursday under the slogan: “We want to live, not survive”.
The UN’s human rights chief has condemned the “unnecessary force” used by security units, reporting that at least 22 people had been killed and 100 others wounded.
Madagascar’s foreign ministry rejected those figures, arguing the numbers were “based on rumours or misinformation”.
What began in the capital, Antananarivo, quickly spread to at least eight other cities.
Authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the capital after incidents of looting and violence, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets to scatter the crowds.
Volker Türk, head of the UN’s human rights body, said he was “shocked” by the heavy-handed response, alleging that protesters faced arrests, beatings, and even live rounds.
“I urge the security forces to desist from the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force and to immediately release all arbitrarily detained protesters,” Türk said on Monday.
According to UN officials, those killed “include protesters and bystanders killed by members of the security forces, but also others killed in subsequent widespread violence and looting by individuals and gangs not associated with the protesters”.
Just last week, Rajoelina dismissed the country’s energy minister over poor performance, but demonstrators have since escalated their demands, calling for the entire government and the president himself to resign.
On Monday, thousands gathered once again in the capital.
“I understand the anger, the sadness, and the difficulties caused by power cuts and water supply problems,” Rajoelina said during his speech on national television.
He declared that he had “terminated the functions of the prime minister and the government” and that applications for a new premier would be accepted within three days. He added that ministers currently in office would remain in an interim capacity until the new government is sworn in.
The president also expressed readiness to open a dialogue with young citizens.
One banner at a rally last week read: “We don’t want trouble, we just want our rights”.
Meanwhile, there were reports of damage to the homes of at least two lawmakers, possibly from arson. But the “Gen Z” organisers insist that hired thugs carried out the looting to discredit their movement.
Since independence in 1960, Madagascar has witnessed repeated political upheavals, including the 2009 mass protests that ousted then-president Marc Ravalomanana and brought Rajoelina to power.
This latest wave of demonstrations is widely seen as the strongest challenge to his leadership since he secured a third presidential term in 2023.
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