ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (Reuters) — Madagascar’s prime minister issued an appeal for calm and national unity on Saturday after a significant development in the country’s ongoing protests: a group of soldiers joined demonstrators and marched alongside them into Antananarivo’s May 13 Square — a site they had been blocked from accessing since the unrest began nearly a month ago.
The protests, which initially erupted on September 25 in response to chronic water and electricity shortages, have grown into a broader youth-led movement, echoing similar Gen Z-driven uprisings seen recently in Kenya and Nepal. What began as local frustrations with infrastructure has now evolved into a mounting political crisis, marking the most serious challenge to President Andry Rajoelina’s leadership in years.
The presence of military personnel among the demonstrators has further raised tensions, signaling a new phase in the protest movement and raising questions over the government’s control and the military’s allegiance.