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Madagascar’s beleaguered President Andry Rajoelina said he was taking refuge in a “secure location” after an assassination attempt, resisting calls for his resignation amidst escalating turmoil that has driven him into seclusion.
In his first public address since a rebellious faction of the military supported anti-government demonstrations, Rajoelina said on Monday, “Since September 25, there have been assassination attempts and coup plots against me. A coalition of military officers and politicians coordinated an effort to kill me.”
The 51-year-old leader’s statement emerged amid speculation that he had fled abroad, which he refuted.
According to Radio France Internationale, Rajoelina departed on a French military aircraft, but French authorities refused to verify this.
“I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life,” he said in a live Facebook broadcast, without revealing his location.
The protests, initially sparked by ongoing electricity and water shortages, were organised by younger activists and evolved into a movement demanding Rajoelina’s exit from power.
Rajoelina, who previously served as the mayor of Antananarivo and first came to power following a coup in 2009, urged adherence to the constitution.
Earlier in the day, rebellious soldiers mingled with enthusiastic crowds outside the city hall in Antananarivo, anticipating his resignation.
Members of the army’s CAPSAT unit were spotted among the demonstrators.
This military unit had proclaimed that it would “refuse orders to fire” on protesters, while gendarmerie officials, accused of employing heavy-handed measures, acknowledged their “faults and excesses” in a recorded statement.
Facing mounting pressure, Rajoelina granted clemency to eight detainees on Monday, which included Paul Maillot Rafanoharana, a dual citizen of France and Madagascar, who was imprisoned in 2021 for attempting a coup.
Madagascar’s political crisis has intensified despite the president having dismissed his government in the previous month.
