Madagascar anti-government protesters take to the streets for third week

Demonstrators in Madagascar decry corruption, daily power cuts, and water shortages as tensions with authorities rise.

Anti-government protests have erupted again in Madagascar, with demonstrators calling for President Andry Rajoelina to resign.

Police fired tear gas at demonstrators on the streets of the capital, Antananarivo, on Monday, the start of a third consecutive week of protests. The unrest began over water and electricity cuts, but has evolved into broader anti-government anger against Rajoelina’s administration.

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Protesters have gathered in cities across the country, with local TV stations broadcasting footage of people at rallies being confronted by police in the cities of Toliara and Antsiranana, also known as Diego Suarez.

In Antananarivo, a Reuters reporter said police fired tear gas at the protesters, most of whom were university students.

The United Nations said on Monday that 22 people have been killed since the protests began, and more than 100 people have been injured, figures rejected by the government.

The protests against Rajoelina’s government began on September 25 in the capital, with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets and erecting barricades with rocks and tyres.

They were organised by Gen Z Madagascar, a social media youth group describing itself as a “peaceful, civic movement”. Organisers say they have taken inspiration from youth-led movements in Nepal and Morocco.

About a third of Madagascar’s 30 million people have access to electricity, according to the International Monetary Fund. Daily power cuts often exceed eight hours, and Jirama, the state energy company, has been accused of corruption and mismanagement, fuelling public anger.

“People don’t have refrigeration for medication, don’t have water for basic hygiene, and then there’s massive corruption,” Ketakandriana Rafitoson, the global vice chair of Transparency International, told Reuters.

“These protests were triggered by visceral grievances that go to the heart of daily life.”

The protests turned chaotic as unrest spread through Antananarivo after police employed tear gas and rubber bullets. Shops were ransacked, and the homes of some lawmakers were damaged.

In response to the first night of protests, authorities instituted an overnight curfew to prevent people from gathering in the evenings.

Several demonstrations have taken place since and have grown into a movement more broadly channeling public discontent with the performance of Rajoelina’s government.

Rajoelina, 51, came to power in a 2009 military coup, having himself campaigned for reform. He briefly stepped down in 2014 but was elected in 2018.

A former DJ and media tycoon, he now faces the biggest challenge to his rule in years, experts say. Last week, Rajoelina sacked his cabinet in an attempt to appease the protesters.

A government spokesperson told Reuters that attempts to engage demonstrators have been repeatedly rebuffed.

“Unfortunately, despite our efforts, no clear or structured leadership has emerged to engage in constructive talks,” the spokesperson said.

Rajoelina has previously rejected calls for his resignation and accused those calling for him to step down of wanting to “destroy our country”.