Staff Reporter

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has fled the African island nation after weeks of escalating anti-government protests, largely driven by young people, culminated in defections by key military units over the weekend.

Opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko confirmed that President Rajoelina left the country on Sunday after elite army and paramilitary units joined the protesters demanding his resignation.

Rajoelina’s whereabouts remain unknown, though a military source and French radio reports suggested he flew out on a French military aircraft.

In a defiant pre-recorded address broadcast from an undisclosed location, Rajoelina acknowledged he was forced to find a safe place to protect his life amid an illegal attempt to seize power, but he did not announce his resignation, instead called for dialogue and respected the constitution.

The upheaval marks the second time a government has been toppled in recent weeks of worldwide Gen Z unrest.

Rajoelina, who first seized power in a 2009 coup, appeared increasingly isolated after losing the support of the CAPSAT, an elite army unit that had been instrumental in his previous rise. CAPSAT defected over the weekend, refusing to fire on demonstrators and later announcing it was taking charge of the military.

A faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie also officially sided with the protests yesterday.

The protests, which began on September 25 over chronic water and power shortages, rapidly escalated into a wider uprising against corruption, bad governance, and a severe lack of basic services.

Thousands gathered outside City Hall in the capital, Antananarivo, on Monday, cheering, holding banners, and shouting, “The president must quit now.”

At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces since the unrest began, according to the UN.