Andry Rajoelina lost military support after demonstrations over lack of water and energy grew
The president of Madagascar, (TGV, center-left), left the country on Sunday (October 12, 2025) after weeks of popular demonstrations. The information was obtained by the agency Reuters together with the leader of the opposition in Parliament, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko.
According to Randrianasoloniaiko, Rajoelina left the country after military units defected and joined the protesters. “We called the presidential team and they confirmed that he left the country”he stated. The president’s whereabouts are not known.
The demonstrations began on September 25, motivated by shortages of electricity, but evolved into a movement against structural problems, such as corruption, poor public administration and lack of essential services.
The president lost the support of capsat, a military unit that helped him come to power in 2009. The group sided with protesters over the weekend, refusing to fire on the population and escorting thousands of people to the main square of Antananarivo, the country’s capital.
The elite unit announced that it had assumed military command and appointed a new head of the army, which led Rajoelina to warn, on the same October 12, about an attempt to take power in the island nation on the south coast of . The information is from .
According to the French newspaper, Rajoelina would have negotiated an agreement with the president of France, (Renaissance, center), and left the country in a military aircraft.
Madagascar’s Permanent Senate Office announced that Richard Ravalomanana, the target of criticism during the protests, has been removed from his position as president of the House. He justified this fact with the need to preserve the “supreme interest of the nation” and strengthen cohesion within political institutions, according to .
Jean André Ndremanjary was temporarily appointed to the position and will assume the role until new elections are held.
