International
After the ‘Gen Z’ protests toppled the Madagascan government, the military backed the protests and has installed a new leader
By Camilla Royle
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Monday 20 October 2025
Issue 2978
A movement led by young people and known as Gen Z Mada has forced former president Andry Rajoelina to flee (Picture: Wikimedia Commons)
Madagascar’s new military ruler thanked protesters as he was sworn into office last Friday.
A movement led by young people and known as Gen Z Mada saw thousands take to the streets in almost daily protests that started in late September.
Earlier this month, soldiers in the elite Capsat unit mutinied and announced they were siding with the protests. They said, “Our children are suffering, we are not here to kill and beat them. We are experiencing the same suffering.”
Now the head of Capsat, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, has taken over the presidency. Former president Andry Rajoelina left the island on a French military aircraft just hours before he was set to give a speech to the nation.
The revolt was sparked by shortages of water and electricity—only a third of people on the Indian Ocean island have regular access to electricity.
The protesters have also raised demands over unemployment and government corruption in one of the world’s poorest countries. And some of the leaders of the protests have been active in the Palestine solidarity movement.
Rajoelina attempted to appease the protesters by dissolving the government.
Opposition political leaders also put pressure on the movement’s leaders to accept the government’s offers of dialogue. But they remained on the streets and demanded Rajoelina’s resignation.
There were also some attempts by organised workers in the health sector to strike in support of the movement.
Rajoelina himself came to office in a coup in 2009 in which Capsat forces played a major role and after mass protests. The fact that a section of the state can come over to the side of the protest movement shows its weakness.
Randrianirina has promised to investigate the state-run electricity and water company. But some of the young protesters are wary of the military rule and say the movement is not over.
In Egypt in 2013, the military took power in a coup claiming to be on the side of the people. That experience shows that the military can’t be trusted as a force for liberation.
The involvement of organised workers could deepen the movement and shift the balance of power towards the protesters.
