Then, on Saturday 11 October, the elite military unit Capsat came out in support<\/a> of protesters, accompanying them to Place du 13 Mai. The next day, President Andry Rajoelina reportedly fled the country<\/a> for Dubai on a French military plane. On Friday, Capsat\u2019s commander, Col Michael Randrianirina, was sworn in as transitional president for what he said would be 18 to 24 months. <\/p>\n Young protesters, who had rallied as \u201cGen Z Madagascar\u201d, were jubilant at the ousting of Rajoelina. Many were grateful to Capsat, which is responsible for military personnel and logistics. Some were worried about transitioning to military rule rather than a new civilian regime. All said they intended to keep fighting for a better Madagascar.<\/p>\n Antonio, a shaggy-haired 17-year-old wearing a black face mask, bounded off stage after making a speech to the rapturous crowd in Place du 13 Mai on Wednesday evening. \u201cI just wanted to say to them that the protests are not finished and that we must be vigilant,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The leaderless group calling itself Gen Z Madagascar took direct inspiration from other gen Z movements against corruption. Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko\/Reuters<\/p>\n Antonio, who did not want to share his full name, had warm words for Capsat. \u201cI thanked them for helping us to come here, to this sacred place, the 13 Mai,\u201d he said. \u201cWithout them we wouldn\u2019t have made it here.\u201d<\/p>\n But he reserved his most enthusiastic praise for his fellow activists: \u201cI just want to thank gen Z, the people who truly protested \u2026 because it was them who gave us the victory.\u201d<\/p>\n Madagascar lies off the south-east coast of Africa<\/a>, stretching almost 1,000 miles north to south. An island of 32 million people, it is rich in biodiversity and natural resources, including precious gems and vanilla.<\/p>\n The former French colony is also extremely poor and plagued by corruption. Last year, its GDP per capita was just $545 (\u00a3405), the fifth poorest country in the world, according to the World Bank<\/a>. It ranked 140 out of 180<\/a> countries in Transparency International\u2019s 2024 corruption perceptions index.<\/p>\n Andry Rajoelina giving a speech from an unknown location on Monday after being forced into hiding. Photograph: Presidency Of The Republic Of Madagascar\/AP<\/p>\n While Rajoelina was a civilian ruler, he also came to power in a coup instigated by Capsat \u2013 short for Corps d\u2019administration des personnels et des services administratifs et techniques (administrative body of personnel and administrative and technical services) \u2013 which backed him after he led three months of anti-government protests in 2009.<\/p>\n Rajoelina, a former DJ who had risen to become mayor of Antananarivo, stepped aside as president in 2014 in favour of an ally, Hery Rajaonarimampianina. He returned to the presidency in the 2019 election and again in 2023, a vote that was boycotted by the opposition<\/a>, which claimed the poll had been rigged.<\/p>\n The lot of Malagasay people has barely changed under 51-year-old Rajoelina. The country\u2019s still tiny GDP per capita has risen just 22% since 2009. Only 5% of the population have a formal salaried job, according to the International Monetary Fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n The population has more than doubled<\/a> in 30 years, with more than half under the age of 20, according to the World Health Organization<\/a>. It is no wonder, then, that young people were liable to revolt when two councillors in Antananarivo were arrested in September for trying to organise a protest against water and electricity outages.<\/p>\n A leaderless group calling itself Gen Z Madagascar<\/a> quickly formed online, with Facebook and Instagram accounts. They coordinated on Discord, a platform mainly used for socialising while gaming, and the secure messaging app Signal. Many only knew each other by aliases, members said earlier in October.<\/p>\n They took direct inspiration from other gen Z movements against corruption, including in Indonesia and the Philippines. A particular influence was Nepal, where the government was toppled in September<\/a>, with Malagasy activists joining the Nepali gen Z discord to pick up protest tips. Moroccan young people then took to the streets in October under the name GenZ 212 (the 212 for the country\u2019s international dialling code), protesting against poor education and health services.<\/p>\n Gen Z Madagascar adopted the skull and crossbones flag from the Japanese anime series One Piece, which was first flown in Indonesia in August<\/a> and then in the Philippines in September. Instead of the original straw hat, the skull wore a pink and green satroka bucket hat from Madagascar\u2019s Betsileo ethnic group. The flag is now flying in Place du 13 Mai.<\/p>\n Protesters hang a banner featuring the skull and crossbones flag adopted from a Japanese anime series and wearing a satroka bucket hat. Photograph: Zo Andrianjafy\/Reuters<\/p>\n The initial reaction of Malagasy security forces was brutal. At least 22 people were killed in the first days of the protests in September, according to the UN<\/a>. It said some were shot by the gendarmerie \u2013 police under the command of the defence ministry \u2013 and others killed in violence caused by criminal gangs and looters. Rajoelina disputed the toll, claiming last week there were \u201c12 confirmed deaths and all of these individuals were looters and vandals\u201d.<\/p>\n However, the shooting did not stop straight away when Capsat said on Saturday 11 October that it would not fire on protesters and called on the rest of the military to \u201cjoin forces\u201d with it.<\/p>\n On 10 October, Aina Sarobidy Randriamiharisoa travelled 75 miles after finishing his work as a mining truck mechanic to join the protests the next day. \u201cWhat motivated me to go in the first place is that I am aware of what is happening in the country. That something is wrong and change is needed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Randriamiharisoa marched north with about 20 friends on Saturday afternoon. About a mile away from Place du 13 Mai, the gendarmerie pelted them with teargas. Then, Randriamiharisoa was shot through his left thigh by a live bullet.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n \u201cI really just thought it was teargas, I felt pins and needles all over my leg,\u201d said the 28-year-old, lying in an otherwise empty hospital ward on a Dora the Explorer sheet, under a duvet cover patterned with cartoon penguins, as relatives handed him water and milk.<\/p>\n Aina Sarobidy Randriamiharisoa in his hospital bed after having part of his left leg amputated. Photograph: Rachel Savage\/The Guardian<\/p>\n When Capsat emerged from its barracks further south, around the time Randriamiharisoa was shot, the gendarmerie briefly resisted and was accused by Capsat of killing one of its soldiers. On Sunday, the gendarmerie released a video statement admitting to \u201cfaults and excesses\u201d.<\/p>\n Randriamiharisoa underwent two operations, but never regained the feeling in his left foot. Then his toes started to turn black. On Wednesday, doctors amputated the leg above his knee. \u201cI\u2019m just thinking in a positive way. I did it for my country,\u201d he said, adding that he hoped to find a sponsor to buy him a prosthetic leg and then return to work.<\/p>\n As for the military takeover, Randriamiharisoa said he was uncertain about the soldiers\u2019 intentions: \u201cI don\u2019t know if there\u2019s something behind it, if it\u2019s politics or if they just want to profit off the situation \u2026 because it\u2019s like that almost every time in Madagascar.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr Velomahanina Razakamaharavo, a research fellow at the University of Reading, said that \u201cfor a long time, Capsat was viewed as being on the wrong side of history\u201d because of its role in the violent 2009 coup.<\/p>\n She added: \u201cThis time, however, public perception has shifted \u2026 Capsat\u2019s decision to step in was seen as an act of courage and solidarity with the people. Their intervention altered the power dynamics and stopped further bloodshed.\u201d<\/p>\n Randrianirina, Madagascar\u2019s new military ruler, was formerly the governor of the southern Androy district. He was arrested with an accomplice in November 2023 on accusations of plotting a coup, just before the most recent disputed elections, and handed a one-year suspended prison sentence.<\/p>\n Col Michael Randrianirina (centre) after his swearing in ceremony in Antananarivo on Friday. Photograph: Rijasolo\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cWe left at the beginning of February [2024] and resumed our status as officers in the shadows,\u201d the 51-year-old told Agence France-Presse on Saturday. \u201cI had no duties \u2026 I worked at home, I cooked, I played football.\u201d<\/p>\n Razakamaharavo said the new president had a reputation for integrity: \u201cA mpiandry (shepherd) within the Lutheran church, he is widely seen as a man of principle and trustworthiness.\u201d<\/p>\n Randrianirina has denied his takeover was a coup, telling journalists on Thursday: \u201cA coup is when soldiers enter the presidential palace with weapons. They shoot. There is bloodshed \u2026 This is not a coup.\u201d<\/p>\n Some gen Z protesters also rejected the label of a coup, emphasising that Randrianirina and his men had intervened bloodlessly to support their cause, with the takeover approved by the constitutional court. Others worried, though, that their revolution would be lost under the new regime.<\/p>\n![\"Protesters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/5500.jpg\")
Protesters in Madagascar gather in the capital to celebrate \u2013 video <\/p>\n