ANTANANARIVO, Feb 16 (Reuters) – At least 59 people died when Cyclone Gezani struck Madagascar last week, the disaster management office said on Monday, as it assesses the impact of the second tropical storm to hit the Indian Ocean island nation this year.
The cyclone displaced 16,428, while 15 people remain missing, 804 were injured and 423,986 were classified as affected by the disaster, the National Bureau for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) said.
Gezani barrelled through the country just 10 days after Tropical Cyclone Fytia killed 14 people and displaced over 31,000, according to the United Nations’ humanitarian office.
At its peak, Gezani had sustained winds of about 185 km (115 miles) per hour, with gusts rising to nearly 270 km per hour – powerful enough to rip metal sheeting from rooftops and uproot large trees.
The cyclone moved westward across the Mozambique Channel, bringing heavy winds and waves of up to 10 metres in the southern end of Mozambique, its weather service said in a statement.
The weather system has since curved back eastward over the channel, and forecasts show it looping toward Madagascar again, with a second landfall expected in southwestern Madagascar on Monday.
Authorities have placed Ampanihy district in southwestern Madagascar on red alert, with Gezani forecast to pass about 100 km off its coast on Monday evening, bringing winds of around 65 km/h but no heavy rainfall, the weather service said.
(Reporting by Lovasoa Rabary, additional reporting by Anathi Madubela in Johannesburg; Writing by George ObulutsaEditing by Bate Felix; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
One of my dream trips had always been to island hop from Madagascar to the Seychelles to Mauritius. I pretty much made a pact with myself that whenever I had the opportunity to go to any of those countries, I would pair the three of them together since the journey was so far. So, when I signed up to road trip Madagascar for 15 days, I knew I wanted to hop over to the Seychelles and Mauritius afterward to decompress from what I could only imagine would be a wild adventure.
The island nation I thought I’d love didn’t quite hit home
I was looking the most forward to the Seychelles, but surprisingly, I found myself slightly bored there. Don’t get me wrong; the Seychelles has some of the best beaches I’ve ever seen on the planet, especially Petite Anse, the beach at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles. But overall, as an adventure-fueled traveler, the Seychelles took paradise on earth a hair too far for me. I know, what a problem to have.
Mauritius is the sweet spot between relaxing and adventure
Seven colored earth, Mauritius
(Kaitlyn Rosati)
When I got to Mauritius, however, I had the best of both worlds: adventure beyond belief with world-class snorkeling and diving, the “seven-colored earth,” interesting food and wine like wine made from lychee and a stinky fruit (noni) that could give durian a run for its money, and an underwater waterfall. Plus, the beach onsite of my hotel. Anantara Iko Mauritius Resort & Villas, had a beach parallel to the unblemished ones of the Seychelles.
Bottom Line
Snorkeling in Mauritius
(Kaitlyn Rosati)
If you’re looking for a place to relax along sandy shores, with the option to see some wonders like an underwater waterfall or a geological formation that’s naturally seven different colors, all without breaking the bank, Mauritius needs to be added to your radar.
WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) – The U.S. signed four new global health memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Botswana, and Ethiopia, which total nearly $2.3 billion in funding, the State Department said on Tuesday.
“Each MOU includes clear benchmarks, strict timelines, and consequences for nonperformance – ensuring U.S. assistance delivers results against priority disease threats and reduces long-term dependence on U.S. assistance,” the State Department said in a statement.
“Across the four MOUs, which total nearly $2.3 billion, the United States has committed almost $1.4 billion, with recipient countries co-investing more than $900 million of their own resources.”
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
Madagascar’s cliffs, rolling plateaus, and winding rivers weren’t shaped by a single violent event. Instead, the island’s breathtaking landscape took form through two massive tectonic rifts that happened tens of millions of years apart.
These shifts tilted the land, redirected rivers, and sculpted the island’s dramatic shape — steep cliffs dropping into the Indian Ocean on the east and gentle plains stretching toward the Mozambique Channel on the west. Together, these forces created not only a striking landscape but also one of the most biologically rich ecosystems on Earth.
Two Ancient Rifts, One Remarkable Island
Long before Madagascar stood alone in the ocean, it was part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. About 170 million years ago, the first big tectonic break separated it from Africa. The crust folded upward, forming a massive western escarpment, and rivers flowed east toward the Indian Ocean, cutting deep valleys into a rising plateau.
The escarpment mountains of western Madagascar. The landscape is dominated by isolated remnant peaks, witnesses of an ancient plateau that has been deeply incised by large river systems over millions of years. (CREDIT: Romano Clementucci / ETH Zurich)
Roughly 80 million years later, another rift opened — this time between Madagascar, India, and the Seychelles. The island tilted again, but in the opposite direction. Land that once sloped east began to dip west, reversing river flow and shifting the island’s main watershed toward the east. The towering western escarpment eroded into scattered highlands, while a new, steep cliff line rose along the eastern coast.
“The water divide is the key to the geography of Madagascar,” said Romano Clementucci, a geologist at ETH Zurich and lead author of the new Science Advances study. “Each time the island tilted, the line separating rivers flowing east or west jumped across the island, changing how water and erosion shaped the land.”
Rivers That Redraw the Land
These tilts didn’t just bend river paths — they rebuilt the island’s surface. Old riverbeds were abandoned, new valleys were carved, and some rivers even reversed course. The result is striking: steep cliffs and fast rivers in the east, soft slopes and wide plains in the west.
Using high-resolution satellite imagery, erosion data, and computer models, Clementucci’s team mapped Madagascar’s slow transformation in remarkable detail. They used cosmogenic isotopes like beryllium-10 (^10Be), which build up in rocks exposed to cosmic rays, to measure how quickly erosion reshaped the island over millions of years.
The escarpment mountains of eastern Madagascar, shaped by a tropical climate and steep topography. The escarpment has been retreating inland since the second rifting event (90 Ma) and today acts as a natural barrier to rainfall, marking the western limit of the island’s humid eastern rainforests. (CREDIT: Romano Clementucci / ETH Zurich)
Their results show erosion remains most intense along the eastern escarpment. In the south, cliffs retreat about 170 meters per million years. But in the north — a more tectonically active area — the pace quickens to nearly 3,800 meters per million years. By comparison, the central plateau erodes slowly, only about seven meters per million years, preserving remnants of Madagascar’s ancient surface.
Re-Creating an Island in Motion
To confirm their findings, researchers ran computer simulations of Madagascar’s geologic past. Each rifting event caused one side of the island to sink, creating a new escarpment that gradually eroded inward. During the second rift, the tilt reversed, and the entire landscape reshaped again.
The model successfully recreated Madagascar’s modern features — the sharp eastern escarpment, the gentle western slope, and the “knickpoints,” or sudden drops in river elevation, seen today. These knickpoints are relics of ancient changes in the island’s drainage system.
And the story isn’t over. Volcanic and tectonic forces continue to reshape Madagascar today, especially in regions like the Ankaratra volcanic field and the Alaotra–Ankay Graben. These active zones still alter river courses, sink parts of the plateau, and produce mild earthquakes — signs that the island’s crust is far from quiet.
Morphostructural features of Madagascar and topographic escarpments. (CREDIT: Science Advances)
A Landscape That Gave Rise to Life
Madagascar’s incredible biodiversity — from lemurs and chameleons to baobabs — has long been credited to isolation and climate. Clementucci’s study adds another key factor: geology.
The team found a strong link between erosion rates and plant diversity along the eastern escarpment. Where slopes are steeper and rivers shift more often, plant species multiply — from roughly 1,200 in the south to more than 2,000 in the north. Rainfall alone can’t explain the difference. Instead, the land’s constant reshaping seems to have fragmented habitats and pushed species to evolve separately.
In essence, Madagascar’s shifting terrain acted like a “speciation pump.” When rivers changed course or valleys deepened, populations became isolated and began to evolve on their own. That process helped produce the island’s astonishing biodiversity — where more than 90% of mammals and reptiles and over 80% of plants exist nowhere else on Earth.
“Our research shows that ancient tectonic forces rejuvenated Madagascar’s surface,” Clementucci said. “By tilting the island and shifting its main rivers and mountains, these forces created fragmented environments where species evolved in isolation — especially along the island’s striking eastern escarpment.”
Channel steepness (ksn), normalized distance (χ) map, and linear geomorphic features defining remnant escarpments on plateau edges in central and northern Madagascar. (CREDIT: Science Advances)
Lessons From a “Quiet” Continent
Madagascar’s story challenges the assumption that so-called “passive” continental margins — like those in Brazil, South Africa, or Australia — are geologically stable. Even after rifting ends, slow but steady movements can keep reshaping landscapes and influencing ecosystems.
This understanding may also explain why other “ancient” islands host so much biodiversity. Even subtle geological shifts, spread over millions of years, can shape how species form, adapt, and survive.
Why It Matters
By linking geology and biodiversity, this study shows how deeply life is tied to a changing Earth. The living and non-living parts of our planet evolve together — one shaping the other over time.
For conservationists, the findings emphasize protecting entire landscapes, not just isolated habitats. The same tectonic and erosional forces that once created diversity could, if disrupted, permanently fracture ecosystems.
As Madagascar continues to move and wear away, it stands as living proof that the Earth is never truly still — it tilts, breathes, and builds life in the process.
Research findings are available online in the journal Science Advances.
The leaders of Madagascar’s Gen Z movement, whose protests helped topple President Andry Rajoelina, say they disapprove of the prime minister appointed by the country’s new ruler.
Col Michael Randrianirina led a coup last week and was sworn in as head of state on Friday.
On Monday, he named businessman Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo as his prime minister. But in a statement on Facebook, Gen Z Mada said the appointment was made in a “non-transparent” manner and “without consultation”.
Gen Z Mada added that the decision “runs contrary to the desired structural change” the movement was seeking.
The group has demanded to know how Rajaonarivelo was selected given what it says was his connection to the previous government.
“Our revolution will not be hijacked. The Malagasy youth are watching and mobilising,” Gen Z Mada said.
Protests across Madagascar, triggered by frequent water and power outages, began almost a month ago.
Led by young people, they attracted other sections of society and morphed into wider demands for political change.
Rajoelina’s calls for dialogue failed to quell the demonstrations and the president went into hiding. It was widely reported that he had fled abroad.
A week ago, Col Randrianirina, the head of the country’s elite CAPSAT army unit, stepped in and announced the military had seized power.
After being sworn-in in civilian clothes on 17 October he thanked the young people who took to the streets.
“With a people in full fervour, driven by the desire for change… we joyfully open a new chapter in the life of our nation,” he said.
Gen Z Mada has not said exactly what it will do if Rajaonarivelo’s appointment is not explained or reversed, but the group has made it clear that it will continue to monitor the actions of the new administration.
“We will not allow the failed methods of the past to continue in a new form,” Gen Z Mada’s statement concluded.
More about Madagascar from the BBC:
[Getty Images/BBC]
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NAIROBI (Reuters) -Madagascar’s Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as president on Friday after the military took power in the island nation this week following youth-led protests that forced Andry Rajoelina to flee.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the High Constitutional Court.
(Reporting by Lovasoa Rabary, editing by Silvia Aloisi)
ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) -Colonel Michael Randrianirina has taken control of Madagascar after its sitting president fled following weeks of youth-led Gen Z protests against his rule.
Following are key facts about Randrianirina:
* Randrianirina is part of Madagascar’s elite military CAPSAT unit, the group that brought now-deposed president Andry Rajoelina to power in a 2009 coup.
* Since taking control this week, he has suspended the southern African country’s institutions, including the Senate, electoral commission and top legal bodies, including the High Constitutional Court that validated his takeover as interim president. He said it might take up to two years to hold elections to transition back to a civilian government.
* Randrianirina became a vocal critic of Rajoelina in recent years and was arrested on suspicion of instigating an army mutiny on 27 November 2023, for which he was charged, brought before court and sent to prison all on the same day.
He was released in February 2024, after being given a suspended sentence for attacking state security, and returned to CAPSAT.
* On October 11, as the Gen Z protests against Rajoelina gathered steam, Randrianirina recorded a video in which he called on Madagascar’s security forces to disobey orders to open fire on protesters. Some CAPSAT soldiers then joined the protests after that declaration of support.
* He was born in the village of Sevohipoty, in the region of Androy, on the southernmost tip of the Indian Ocean island. He is 51 years old, although the exact date of his birth is not public knowledge, nor is his family background.
* He was governor of Androy between 2016 and 2018, later becoming head of an infantry battalion in the city of Toliara until 2022. Then he was promoted to a senior role in CAPSAT.
(Reporting by Tim CocksAdditional reporting by Lovasoa Rabary, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
An elite military unit says it has seized power in Madagascar from President Andry Rajoelina following weeks of youth-led protests in the Indian Ocean island.
Standing outside the Presidential Palace, CAPSAT chief Col Michael Randrianirina said the military would form a government and hold elections within two years. He also suspended key democratic institutions, like the electoral commission.
Gen Z protestors will be part of the changes because “the movement was created in the streets so we have to respect their demands” he added.
Troops and protestors have been celebrating the apparent ousting of President Rajoelina, with thousands cheering and waving flags in the capital, Antananarivo.
Madagascar’s constitutional court has named Col Randrianirina as the country’s new leader, even though a statement from the president’s office said he was still in charge and denounced what it described as an “attempted coup d’etat”.
Rajoelina’s whereabouts are unknown, but he has said he is sheltering in a “safe place” following an alleged attempt on his life by “military personnel and politicians”, which CAPSAT has denied having any involvement in. There have been unconfirmed reports that the president was flown out of the country on a French military aircraft.
Col Randrianirina told the BBC that Madagascar was “a country where chaos reigns right now”.
“Chaos because there’s no president – he’s gone abroad.”
Youth-led protests began over electricity cuts and water shortages [AFP via Getty Images]
The demonstrations soon escalated, to reflect wider dissatisfaction with Rajoelina’s government over high unemployment, rampant corruption and the cost-of-living crisis.
Protestors clashed with security forces resulting in the death of at least 22 people and more than 100 others injured, according to the UN, although the Malagasy government has dismissed those figures and described them as based on “rumours and misinformation”.
CAPSAT, which supported Rajoelina when he came into power in 2009, joined the protestors on Saturday.
President Rajoelina, an entrepreneur and former DF, was once seen as a fresh start for Madagascar.
The baby-faced leader became president at the age of just 34, earning the title of Africa’s youngest leader, and going on to govern for four years, before returning to power after the 2018 election.
President Andry Rajoelina gave a speech on Monday via his Facebook page [AFP via Getty Images]
But he fell out of favour following allegations of cronyism and corruption, which he denied.
Despite the fact that power appears to have shifted away from him, he has continued to try to influence events.
Rajoelina attempted to dissolve the national assembly before the opposition could vote to strip him of his presidency for abandonment of post, but that didn’t work.
Lawmakers voted to impeach Rajoelina by 130 votes to one blank ballot. Even members of Rajoelina’s party, IRMAR, voted overwhelmingly to impeach him.
Rajoelina rejected the vote, calling it “null and void”.
The African Union (AU) has warned against soldiers “meddling” in Madagascar’s political affairs and rejected “any attempt at unconstitutional changes of government”.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the situation “greatly worrying”.
The island has gone through a series of political upheavals in recent years.
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 75% of its 30 million people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
[Getty Images/BBC]
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Its president is in hiding, an army unit has taken control and crowds of protesters are demanding sweeping social change.
The wave of protests mushrooming around the world has now forced a change of leadership in Madagascar. After weeks of demonstrations over corruption and worsening living standards, the armed forces say they have taken control while President Andry Rajoelina has taken refuge in what he described as a secure, undisclosed location as he tries to shore up enough political support to regain power.
ANTANANARIVO/NAIROBI (Reuters) -A former DJ once nicknamed “TGV” after the French fast train for his dynamism, Madagascar’s Andry Rajoelina was the world’s youngest head of state at 34 when he came to power in a coup in 2009.
Now the three-time president has fled after disappointing the Indian Ocean island’s young majority in the latest protest cycle against political elites.
The military unit that joined the Gen Z demonstrations last weekend – prompting his departure – was the same one that installed him 16 years ago when Rajoelina’s charisma had rallied youngsters frustrated at poverty and corruption.
At the time, Rajoelina was six years too young to even legally be president, according to the constitution. But his youth, and his celebrity status as a former DJ and radio station owner, were precisely what gave him the advantage.
When he successfully ran for mayor of the capital Antanarivo in 2007, his party was called Tanora MalaGasy Vonona (Young Malagasys Determined). The “TGV” moniker was a play on words: the party initials and a nod to his high-speed personality.
RAJOELINA THE LATEST DISAPPOINTMENT TO MADAGASCAR’S YOUTH
Rajoelina had consistently clashed with then President Marc Ravalomanana, branding his government a dictatorship when it shut down his TV channel in 2008.
Yet only a few years earlier Ravalomanana had himself been the anti-establishment figure bringing youths out onto the street to oust an ageing president.
Suddenly Ravalomanana, then in his late 50s, was the out-of-touch oldster, so when soldiers booted him out and installed Rajoelina, many Malagasy youth cheered.
Sixteen years on, Gen Z citizens accuse the now 51-year-old Rajoelina of having kept none of his rapid-fire promises.
Noone compares him to a high-speed train anymore.
While Rajoelina had vowed to improve standards of living, he failed to turn around a long decline in economic fortunes: GDP per capita has nearly halved between independence in 1960 and 2020, according to the World Bank.
Extreme poverty blights three quarters of the population, young people cannot find jobs, while power and water shortages have made their lives a misery.
While fleeing on a French military jet, according to official and diplomatic sources, the increasingly isolated leader warned of an attempted putsch by soldiers supporting the protests.
Born in 1974, in Antisirabe – a spa town in the Malagasy highlands – Rajoelina, unlike his predecessor, came from a fairly privileged background, his father an army colonel.
He took to DJ-ing in his teens, and started an events company, eventually buying a radio station.
But the personality quirks that made him entertaining did not always make for a great leader. As Madagascar reeled from COVID-19 shocks, Rajoelina – known for his tendency to make grand claims – touted a herbal tonic, saying it would cure it within days, without clinical evidence.
In 2022, inspired by the animated franchise “Madagascar”, he offered international investors tax exemptions to import giraffes, zebras and elephants from sub-Saharan Africa to boost tourism. None did.
Meanwhile, ordinary citizens struggled to eke out a living.
“People don’t have refrigeration for medication, don’t have water for basic hygiene,” Ketakandriana Rafitoson, the global vice-chair of Transparency International and a Malagasy, told Reuters, adding that corruption had corroded public trust.
Last year, a London court convicted Rajoelina’s former chief of staff of offering to help precious stone miner Gemfields win lucrative mining rights in exchange for bribes amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The country fell from 118 to 140 in Transparency International’s corruption index between 2012 and 2024.
Rajoelina stepped down in 2014 as leader of a transitional authority but became president again after winning a 2018 election.
His re-election in 2023 was preceded by weeks of protests related to opposition accusations of unfair voting conditions and claims he should be barred from running because he acquired French citizenship in 2014 – a sore point with citizens of the former French colony.
On Monday night, in an address to the nation broadcast on Facebook, Rajoelina said that he had been compelled to move to a safe location to protect his life. He did not disclose his whereabouts but struck a defiant note, saying he would not “allow Madagascar to be destroyed”.
Opposition lawmakers have called for a vote to impeach him – a complex task since the ruling coalition has a parliamentary majority.
“Whatever the outcome of this crisis, Rajoelina’s legacy is already defined,” said Transparency International’s Rafitoson. “His rule has left the country weaker, poorer, and more unequal.”
“He should have stuck to running nightclubs.”
On the streets of Antananarivo, protesters were desperate for change.
“We gave him a chance,” said Nanou Rakoto, a 27-year-old market trader. “Life in Madagascar is so hard… We need someone who can pay attention to our problems.”
(Reporting by Ammu Kannampilly in Nairobi and Tim Cocks in Antananarivo; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Soldiers have threatened to seize the state TV headquarters in Madagascar as President Andry Rajoelina was due to address the nation, his office says, amid unconfirmed reports that he has fled the country.
A French military aircraft is said to have airlifted Rajoelina from the Indian Ocean island to an unknown location, following a fortnight of nationwide protests aimed at kicking him out of power.
His failed attempts to placate young protesters – dubbed “Gen Z Mada” – saw him sack his entire government and make other concessions to no avail.
On Sunday, his office said an attempt was under way to force him from power. He has not been seen in public since Wednesday.
Rajoelina’s planned address to the nation has been delayed several times – it was initially due at 1900 local time (1600 GMT).
Over the weekend, a powerful army unit – known as CAPSAT – that helped install Rajoelina in power in 2009 moved to undermine him by declaring itself in command of all the armed forces, while some of its officers joined protesters on the streets of the capital, Antananarivo.
Following a meeting of military commanders on Monday, the new Chief of Army Staff installed by CAPSAT, Gen Demosthene Pikulas, assured the public that the security forces were working together to maintain order in the island nation.
By Monday evening, the general was at state TV headquarters trying to resolve the crisis, according to a statement from the presidency.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior leader in Madagascar’s largest opposition party told the BBC that Madagascar was now effectively being run by CAPSAT.
The TIM party has also said it plans to bring impeachment proceedings against Rajoelina for “abandonment of post”.
Several of Rajoelina’s inner circle have fled to nearby Mauritius. They include former Prime Minister President Richard Ravalomanana and the businessman Maminiaina Ravatomanga.
Despite its abundant natural resources, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. About 75% of people there live below the poverty line, the World Bank says, while data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows just over one-third of people have access to electricity.
The protests began over anger with repeated water and power cuts, then escalated to reflect wider dissatisfaction with Rajoelina’s government over high unemployment, corruption, and the cost-of-living crisis.
At least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the first few days of the protests, according to the UN, although the government has rejected these figures.
Eyewitnesses describe security officers opening fire on protesters with live ammunition. In one case, a newborn baby died from smoke inhalation after being exposed to tear gas.
Madagascar has been rocked by multiple uprisings since it gained independence in 1960, including mass protests in 2009 that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to step down and saw Rajoelina ushered into office.
Aged just 34 at the time, Rajoelina became Africa’s youngest leader – going on to govern for four years, then returning to power again after the 2018 election.
Rajoelina was born into wealth and, before entering politics, had made a name for himself as an entrepreneur and DJ – setting up a radio station and an advertising company along the way.
But his sharp-suited, baby-faced appeal soon waned, as allegations of cronyism and entrenched corruption became unshakeable.
[AFP via Getty Images]
More on Madagascar’s crisis:
[Getty Images/BBC]
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The office of Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has said an attempt to seize power illegally and by force is under way in the country.
Hours later, an army unit known as CAPSAT claimed that it had taken over the leadership of the military command, and was now in control of all the armed forces – land, air, and naval.
This is the same unit that played a crucial role in the 2009 Malagasy political crisis, which helped Rajoelina rise to power.
Madagascar was first hit by protests on 25 September against water and power cuts, but they have escalated to reflect wider dissatisfaction with Rajoelina’s government over high unemployment, corruption, and the cost-of-living crisis.
Rajoelina’s statement said “there is an attempt to seize power at this time in the territory of the Republic, in complete violation of the Constitution and democratic principles,” in a translation.
He condemned “in the strongest possible terms” what he called an attempt to destabilise the country. He also called on all of the nation’s key forces to unite in defending the constitutional order and national sovereignty.
CAPSAT said it had appointed a new chief of staff, Gen Demosthene Pikulas, according to a statement issued on its Facebook page.
On Saturday, some soldiers had left their barracks on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo, to join protesters in front of the city’s town hall.
There were reports of a shoot-out at the camp after officials from the gendarmerie visited it for discussions. No further details have emerged of the incident.
CAPSAT had condemned the use of force by security forces in handling recent protests in Antananarivo.
On Saturday, a statement from the presidency had assured the nation that Rajoelina and the new prime minister – an army general he appointed last week – were in control of the situation.
More on Madagascar’s crisis:
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NAIROBI (Reuters) -Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina led rallies championing reform when he came to power in a 2009 coup. Now, the former DJ and media mogul risks being toppled by student protesters frustrated by endemic corruption and a comatose economy.
Although largely youth-led, the demonstrations have given voice to years of pent-up anger across generations of Malagasy citizens, analysts say, with the protesters initially focusing on electricity and water shortages before calling for an overhaul of the government in the African island nation.
Since demonstrations started last month, Rajoelina has fired his cabinet and emphasised his openness to dialogue with the protesters.
But the leaderless rallies have continued, with many of those marching finding inspiration in youth-led movements in Nepal and Kenya that forced governments to withdraw taxes or leave office.
A presidency spokesperson told Reuters the government had repeatedly called for dialogue with the protesters.
“Unfortunately, despite our efforts, no clear or structured leadership has emerged to engage in constructive talks.”
Rajoelina was just 34 when he took office in a military-backed coup, deposing his predecessor Marc Ravalomanana.
Nicknamed “TGV” after the fast French train for his rapid-fire rhetoric and confidence, Rajoelina was elected mayor of the capital city of Antanarivo in 2007 and consistently clashed with the presidency, branding it a dictatorship when it shut down his TV channel in 2008.
When he became president in March 2009, he vowed to improve standards of living for the Malagasy, whose GDP per capita plunged by 45% between 1960 – the year it won independence from France – and 2020, according to the World Bank.
He stepped down in 2014 as leader of a transitional authority but then became president again after winning a 2018 election.
As the island reeled from COVID-19 shocks, Rajoelina – long known for his tendency to make grand claims – touted a herbal tonic, saying it would cure the disease within days, without any clinical evidence.
A presidency spokesperson told Reuters that the herbal remedy had “saved many lives” across Africa during the pandemic. They did not share any figures.
In 2022, he told a gathering of international investors that the government was prepared to offer tax exemptions to anyone willing to import giraffes, zebras and elephants from sub-Saharan Africa to the Indian Ocean island to boost tourism.
A presidency spokesperson told Reuters Rajoelina had raised the idea because of the popularity of the animated franchise “Madagascar”. The project was never implemented.
Meanwhile, ordinary citizens struggled to eke out a living, beset by constant power cuts and water shortages.
“These protests were triggered by visceral grievances that go to the heart of daily life,” Ketakandriana Rafitoson, the global vice-chair of Transparency International, told Reuters.
“People don’t have refrigeration for medication, don’t have water for basic hygiene, and then there’s massive corruption…that has corroded public trust,” said Rafitoson, who is also Malagasy.
Last year, a London court convicted Rajoelina’s former chief of staff of offering to help precious stone miner Gemfields win lucrative mining rights in exchange for bribes amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The country fell from 118 to 140 in Transparency International’s corruption index between 2012 and 2024.
A presidency spokesperson said the government was taking measures against graft, including through “anti-corruption courts, stronger financial controls, open data reforms, and digitalization of services.”
Rajoelina’s re-election in 2023 was preceded by weeks of protests related to opposition accusations of unfair voting conditions and claims he should be barred from running because he acquired French citizenship in 2014.
Rajoelina responded that the constitution does not require the head of state to exclusively hold Malagasy nationality.
Ten out of 13 candidates boycotted the poll and turn-out was less than 50%. The United States said the electoral process had “raised some serious concerns that must be addressed”.
The country’s top court dismissed several legal challenges and upheld Rajoelina’s victory while the army warned against attempts to destabilize the country.
Madagascar has a history of coups and the army’s response to the ongoing protests is being closely watched.
“There are rumours of a potential military coup against Rajoelina but that would be very dangerous for the country and could bring international sanctions,” said Rafitoson.
Rajoelina last week warned, without citing evidence, that some politicians had considered staging a coup while he was abroad last month.
A presidency spokesperson told Reuters the movement was being “exploited by political actors who are seeking to destabilize the country,” citing opposition figures’ support for the protests.
The so-called Gen-Z movement has demanded Rajoelina’s resignation and the dissolution of the election commission, the senate, and the top court. But the leaderless grouping has not shared any proposals for the future.
“If Gen-Z seize this opportunity and propose someone from their camp, they could…prevent a coup,” said Rafitoson.
(Reporting and writing by Ammu Kannampilly: Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Madagascar’s president has said he will dissolve his government, following days of youth-led protests over longstanding water and power cuts.
“We acknowledge and apologise if members of the government have not carried out the tasks assigned to them,” Andry Rajoelina said in a televised national address on Monday.
Thousands of predominantly Gen Z demonstrators have taken to the streets in cities across Madagascar since Thursday, under the rallying cry of “We want to live, not survive”.
The UN’s human rights chief condemned the “unnecessary force” used by security forces to quell the unrest, with at least 22 people dead and 100 others injured.
Protests first started in the capital Antananarivo, but have since spread to eight cities across the country.
A dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed in Antananarivo after reports of violence and looting, with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Last week, Madagascar’s president announced that he had sacked the energy minister for failing to do his job properly, but protesters demanded that the president and the rest of his government step down too.
Thousands took to the streets once again on Monday.
“I understand the anger, the sadness, and the difficulties caused by power cuts and water supply problems,” Rajoelina said during his address on state broadcaster Televiziona Malagasy.
He said he had “terminated the functions of the prime minister and the government” and applications for a new premier would be received over the next three days before a new government is formed.
Rajoelina added that he wanted to hold talks with young people.
UNCHR head Volker Türk said he was “shocked” by a violent crackdown by security forces that saw beatings, arrests, live bullets and tear gas meted out to demonstrators.
“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 in a statement issued by his office on Monday.
According to the UN, the dead “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”.
Madagascar’s foreign ministry has rejected the UN’s figures, alleging the data “are based on rumours or misinformation”.
A banner at one of last week’s demonstrations in Antananarivo read: “We don’t want trouble, we just want our rights”.
But some reports last week suggested protesters had damaged – possibly by setting fire to – the homes of at least two legislators.
But the “Gen Z” movement alleges that paid goons had looted various buildings in order to undermine their cause.
Madagascar has been rocked by multiple uprisings since it gained independence in 1960, including mass protests in 2009 that forced former president Marc Ravalomanana to step down and saw Rajoelina come to power.
The protests mark the most significant challenge the president has faced since his third re-election in 2023.
Additional reporting by Danny Aeberhard
More BBC stories on Madagascar:
[Getty Images/BBC]
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New Report Highlights Alarming Forest Loss in Madagascar’s Protected Areas, Urges Immediate Global Action to Save Irreplaceable Biodiversity
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, December 12, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– The Madagascar Protected Area Consortium released a landmark report revealing that Madagascar – home to some of Earth’s most unique biodiversity – is approaching a critical tipping point as 90% of all primary forest cover has now been destroyed.
The “Madagascar Protected Area Outlook 2024,” the first comprehensive analysis of its kind, documents an alarming trajectory: nearly half of Madagascar’s terrestrial Protected Areas are on track to lose their remaining primary forests within a few decades without immediate intervention.
Key Findings
The assessment of all 109 terrestrial Protected Areas reveals that deforestation has accelerated at an alarming rate in recent years. Critical findings include:
Between 2014-2023, deforestation across Madagascar exceeded an area greater than 1 soccer pitch per minute for ten years.
Only 10% of Madagascar’s original primary forest cover remains.
Projections indicate over half of all remaining forest cover in Protected Areas will be destroyed by 2026.
45% of Protected Areas in Madagascar face serious to extreme forest loss.
A Call for Immediate Action
Solofo Rakotoarisoa, Senior Conservation Officer at Conservation Allies, stated: “This assessment fundamentally changes our understanding of the conservation crisis in Madagascar. We’ve identified the most threatened protected areas and have concrete solutions ready for implementation. What we need now is immediate international support to prevent irreversible losses.”
Madagascar represents an irreplaceable global biodiversity treasure, with over 90% of its wildlife endemic to this isolated island in the Indian Ocean. Endangered species like the Silky sifaka, Aye-aye, and Radiated tortoise – found nowhere else on Earth – cannot survive without these rapidly disappearing habitats. Madagascar’s Protected Areas are the final barrier between thousands of unique species and extinction.
Madagascar Protected Area Consortium partners have identified key and strategic intervention areas requiring immediate support from the donor community:
Strengthening enforcement of Protected Areas
Implementing innovative protection measures
Supporting sustainable community development
Alain Liva Raharijaona, Executive Director of FAPBM (Madagascar Protected Areas and Biodiversity Fund), emphasized: “The window for action is closing fast, but with the right support, we can still preserve these irreplaceable ecosystems. This is a critical moment for the global conservation community to demonstrate its commitment to protecting biodiversity.”
About the Madagascar Protected Areas Consortium
The Madagascar Protected Areas Consortium is a coalition of conservation organizations working to protect Madagascar’s ecosystems. Through sustainable management initiatives and community engagement, the Consortium aims to safeguard the island’s unique biodiversity and combat the rapid deforestation crisis.
LOS ANGELES—Sharing the exciting personal development with new maternity photos, actor and talk show host Jada Pinkett Smith announced Friday she was pregnant with actor and comedian Chris Rock’s baby. “Chris and I are so overjoyed to be welcoming a new bundle of joy into this world, as we’ve been trying for a long time,” said Pinkett Smith, revealing how the two actors had been flirtatious since starring in the animated film Madagascar and had finally slept together the night of her husband Will Smith’s infamous slap. “When I saw Christ humiliated and broken after he had been slapped across the face, that’s when I knew I wanted to give into this sexual tension that had been building for so long. We’ve been dating ever since, and we just recently moved in together. Of course people out there are going to assume Will would be upset, but he’s actually been our biggest supporter.” At press time, Pinkett Smith announced she would be naming her baby Tupac.
