Madagascar president flees as soldiers rebel
On Monday, an opposition official confirmed that Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina had left the country after an elite military unit appeared to turn against the government in what seemed like a coup.
The politician’s comments came shortly before Mr Rajoelina was due to appear on national television to make a speech to the people of Madagascar, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
Mr Rajoelina’s office said that his speech would be broadcast on state television and radio at 7pm local time, but didn’t say if the president was still in Madagascar amid reports he had fled following weeks of deadly anti-government protests.
Those protests, which were initially led by youth groups, reached a turning point on Saturday when soldiers from the elite Capsat military unit accompanied demonstrators to a square in the capital, Antananarivo, and called for Mr Rajoelina and several government ministers to leave office.
⚠Footage of the #Madagascar President fleeing the country on board a #French military plane. He was ousted after protracted protests and the military defecting to the protesters.#Africa pic.twitter.com/kXOzWKFf8j
— News.Az (@news_az) October 13, 2025
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