Protesters in Madagascar vowed to return to the streets on Tuesday, a day after President Andry Rajoelina dismissed his government in an attempt to ease mounting unrest that has already left at least 22 people dead, according to the United Nations.
The youth-led demonstrations, inspired by “Gen Z” protest movements in Indonesia and Nepal, have tapped into deep frustration over chronic water and electricity shortages, as well as long standing governance failures.
Rajoelina announced the sacking of his entire cabinet on Monday, promising to address the country’s problems. “When the Malagasy people suffer, I want you to know that I feel that pain too, and I have not slept, day or night, in my efforts to find solutions and improve the situation,” he said.
But the move has done little to calm the streets. Protest organisers called for fresh rallies in the capital, Antananarivo, on Tuesday morning. Earlier demonstrations have been met with a heavy police response, leaving 22 dead and more than 100 injured, according to the UN. The government has rejected the figures, describing them as “based on rumours” and unverified.
Last week’s protests in Antananarivo were followed by widespread looting overnight. Anger has been particularly strong among students, many of whom wore black this week to mourn those killed.
“They call us the TikTok generation, a generation of idiots, and when we rise up, they won’t even let us speak,” one student protester said on Monday. “Mr Andry Rajoelina, when you led protests, you were allowed to, it was fine. But when we young people rise to fight for our country, you try to silence us.”
The president confirmed on Monday night that applications for a new prime minister would be received over the next three days, after which a new government would be formed. In the meantime, current ministers will serve in an interim capacity.
Thousands have continued to march in Antananarivo since the unrest began last week, many chanting for Rajoelina’s resignation. Police have responded with teargas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds.
Madagascar, the world’s leading producer of vanilla and one of its poorest nations, has a history of political instability. Since independence in 1960, the country has witnessed several popular uprisings, including the 2009 protests that forced then-president Marc Ravalomanana from power.
Rajoelina, a former mayor of Antananarivo, rose to power through that 2009 coup. He later returned to office after winning the 2018 election, following a period of political exile during the 2013 vote.
The latest unrest highlights simmering frustrations in the Indian Ocean nation, where decades of misgovernance and economic hardship have fuelled repeated cycles of protest and political change.