France evacuates Madagascar president amid protests and military coup

Madagascarʼs President Andry Rajoelina was evacuated from the country by French military plane amid mass protests and a mutiny in the army.

This is reported by the French radio station RFI.

The evacuation followed an agreement between Rajoelina and French President Emmanuel Macron. At the same time, the French authorities stressed that they would not interfere in Madagascarʼs internal political crisis.

On Sunday, October 12, the presidential administration announced a coup attempt by members of the elite “Capsat” unit that helped Rajoelina come to power in 2009. That same day, about a thousand people gathered at the May 13 square in Antananarivo to support the military.

At noon, three armored vehicles with smiling soldiers waving weapons and Malagasy flags drove through the crowd.

On Saturday, October 11, former Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and businessman Mamy Ravatomanga, a close ally of the president, flew to Mauritius on a private jet. On the same day, Rajoelina did not appear at the ceremony to appoint General Nonos Mbina Mamelison as head of the gendarmerie.

The event was attended by the Minister of the Armed Forces, General Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo, and General Demosthenes Picoulas, who was announced by the “Capsat” unit as the new army commander.

• Protests in Madagascar began over widespread water and electricity shortages but quickly escalated into a nationwide movement demanding the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina. The military used force to disperse the demonstrators, but some of them sided with the protesters and seized control of the gendarmerie.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.