Madagascar's president fires the government following days of deadly Gen
Z protests
[September 30, 2025]
By SARAH TÉTAUD and GERALD IMRAY
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina
fired the prime minister and the rest of his government Monday in
response to days of deadly Gen Z-led protests in the Indian Ocean island
over the failure of the electricity and water supplies.
Rajoelina said in a speech on national television that Prime Minister
Christian Ntsay and other government officials would stay on an interim
basis until a new government is formed. He invited applications for
government positions and gave a three-day time frame to review proposals
for a new prime minister.
“Your demands have been heard, and I apologize if there are members of
the government who have not done the work that the people expected,”
Rajoelina said.
The protesters had called for the resignation of both Ntsay and
Rajoelina, but Rajoelina gave no indication that he would step down.
The protests against chronic electricity and water cuts began on
Thursday and drew thousands onto the streets, prompting the government
to order nighttime curfews in the capital, Antananarivo, and other major
cities. The demonstrations gathered momentum on social media and have
mirrored recent youth-led anti-government protests in Nepal and Kenya.
The United Nations human rights office said earlier Monday that 22
people had been killed in clashes surrounding the protests. The U.N.
agency blamed a “violent response” by security forces. More than 100
people also have been injured in the protests, the agency said.
Protesters and bystanders were killed by security forces, but some of
the deaths also came in violence and looting by gangs not associated
with the protesters, the U.N. rights office said in a statement.
U.N. high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk was shocked “at the
violent response by security forces to the ongoing protests in
Madagascar,” the U.N. rights office said. It said the protests began
peacefully on Thursday, “but the security forces intervened with
unnecessary force, lobbing tear gas and beating and arresting
protesters. Some officers also used live ammunition.”
Madagascar Foreign Minister Rasata Rafaravavitafika disputed the U.N.'s
death toll in a statement, saying “the government strongly denies” that
22 people had died. Yet Madagascar authorities have not given any
figures of their own for how many people died or were injured.
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Demonstrators hold up placards reading "water and electricity are
basic human rights," "Malagasy people, wake up," "Let's not remain
in the dark with our yellow cans" in Antananarivo, Madagascar,
Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sarah Tetaud)
Rajoelina said that he sympathized with anyone who had lost a loved
one in the protests but also didn't offer a death toll on Monday.
Thousands of protesters had returned to the streets in Antananarivo
and other cities earlier on Monday, prompting security forces to
again fire tear gas at the crowds.
Over the last five days, protesters have barricaded roads with
burning tires and rocks, while several stations for Antananarivo's
new cable car public transport system were set on fire. Local media
reported that the homes of some politicians known to be close to
Rajoelina were attacked by protesters.
The government has imposed a nighttime curfew in Antananarivo since
Thursday and in other major cities since Friday.
Madagascar is a large island of 31 million people off the east coast
of Africa. Protesters have been angered by widespread poverty as
well as the failure of authorities to provide reliable supplies of
water and electricity. The World Bank has recorded a sharp rise in
poverty levels in urban areas in Madagascar in recent years.
Protesters have been carrying flags or wearing T-shirts with a
cartoon skull and bones image from the Japanese anime TV series “One
Piece” that was used by anti-government protesters in Nepal and
parts of Southeast Asia recently. The Madagascan protesters carried
placards reading “Justice for Madagascar,” “Leo” — which means
“we’re fed up” — and “We want to live, not just survive.”
Rajoelina, 51, has been president since 2019 and was previously the
leader of a provisional government following a 2009 coup. He was
reelected in 2023 in a vote that was boycotted by most opposition
candidates.
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Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.
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