In the humid spring air of Antananarivo, chants for change echo through Independence Avenue. What began as restless demonstrations over corruption and rising prices has now morphed into a full-blown political storm that may have driven Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina out of his own country.
According to opposition lawmakers, Rajoelina fled the island nation late Sunday night, just hours before he was due to address the nation on state television. His departure happened after he dissolved the country’s lower house of parliament, and with a following scenario of the elite military unit, which defected to take side with protesters who have been on the streets for weeks, protesting.
The Madagascar news feels like déjà vu. The country has lived through three coups since independence in 1960 and Rajoelina himself rose to power during a military-backed upheaval in 2009. Fifteen years later, the former DJ-turned-politician finds himself on the opposite side of a familiar pattern, cornered by public anger and a fracturing military.
Continue reading with Eandel
Subscribe to unlock the complete story and receive your subscriber benefits.