France airlifts Madagascar’s embattled President to safety as his regime collapses

The dramatic evacuation, reportedly carried out on a French military aircraft, follows mass demonstrations demanding Rajoelina’s resignation and marks the latest in a wave of youth-driven uprisings shaking governments across Africa.

Rajoelina confirmed in a late-night address posted on the presidency’s social media accounts that he had left the country, citing threats to his life.

“I left to go to a secure location to protect my life,” he said. The president vowed not to “allow Madagascar to be destroyed,” but did not disclose his location and has so far ignored growing calls to step down.

A senior military source told Reuters that Rajoelina departed on a French military aircraft from Sainte Marie airport on Sunday. “Five minutes later, a helicopter arrived and transferred its passenger into the Casa,” the source said, identifying the passenger as Rajoelina.

French radio RFI reported that the president had reached a deal with French President Emmanuel Macron before leaving the country.

Speaking in Egypt after a summit on the Gaza ceasefire, Macron declined to confirm whether France facilitated the evacuation.

He said constitutional order must be maintained in Madagascar but cautioned that youth frustrations “must not be exploited by military factions.”

Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, the leader of Madagascar’s parliamentary opposition, told reporters that Rajoelina left after key army units defected to join demonstrators demanding his resignation. “We called the staff of the presidency and they confirmed that he left,” Randrianasoloniaiko said, adding that the president’s whereabouts remained unknown.

The unrest began on September 25 as small protests over power and water shortages but quickly morphed into a nationwide uprising.

Thousands of young protesters took to the streets, denouncing corruption, rising poverty and years of political mismanagement.

The demonstrations form part of a broader wave of youth-led movements worldwide, echoing recent protests in Nepal, where the prime minister resigned last month, and in Morocco, where young people have rallied against unemployment and inequality.

Rajoelina’s authority began to unravel when CAPSAT, an elite military unit that helped him seize power in a 2009 coup, joined the protests.

Over the weekend, CAPSAT troops marched with demonstrators in Antananarivo, the capital city, refusing to fire on civilians and declaring they no longer recognised the president’s command.

A day later, a faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie also declared its support for the protesters, naming a new commander in a televised ceremony witnessed by senior government officials.

On Monday, thousands gathered in Antananarivo’s Independence Square, waving flags and chanting, “The president must quit now.”

At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces since the unrest began, according to the United Nations.

In one of his final official moves before leaving, Rajoelina reportedly pardoned several prisoners, including two French nationals convicted of plotting a coup in 2021, a gesture widely interpreted as an attempt to shore up diplomatic goodwill with Paris.

Despite being the world’s largest producer of vanilla and rich in minerals including nickel, cobalt, titanium, and graphite, Madagascar’s 30 million people face extreme poverty, with over 75% living on less than $2 a day.

Rural communities struggle with climate shocks, and decades of political instability have left the economy volatile, according to the World Bank.