Madagascar’s president flees as protests grow and army turns against him

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has fled the country amid mounting nationwide protests and signs of a military split, a dramatic turn for a leader who once came to power through a coup of his own.

In a live Facebook broadcast on Monday, Rajoelina confirmed he had “travelled to a safe location” to protect his life, following swirling reports that a French military aircraft had flown him out on Sunday. The 51-year-old didn’t disclose where he was speaking from.

“I will not confirm anything today,” French President Emmanuel Macron said when asked whether France had helped with the evacuation, though he added he was “greatly concerned” about the situation in the former French colony.

A military source told Reuters that Rajoelina had indeed been flown out on a French Army Casa aircraft, departing from Sainte Marie Airport after being airlifted there by helicopter.

His departure came just hours after Madagascar’s elite CAPSAT unit, once instrumental in helping him seize power in 2009, announced it had taken control of the military and would “refuse orders to shoot” protesters. Rajoelina denounced the move as “an attempt to seize power illegally and by force.”

The protests, which began on September 25 over recurring power and water outages, have morphed into a broad uprising over corruption, poverty, and surging living costs. The UN says at least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces.

By Monday, the mood in Antananarivo, the capital, was both defiant and euphoric. Hundreds of protesters, joined by soldiers, gathered outside city hall waving flags and chanting for the president’s resignation.

Rajoelina had planned a national TV address on Monday, but his office said the speech was delayed after “a group of armed forces threatened to take control of the state-owned media.”