Gen Z Rage Topples Another Regime In India's Neighbourhood — Madagascar’s President Flees, Army Takes Over

Madagascar’s military has seized power after weeks of youth-led protests forced President Andry Rajoelina to flee the country, marking the latest political upheaval in India’s neighbourhood following similar unrest in Nepal earlier this year.

Madagascar lies along the western rim of the Indian Ocean, off the coast of southern Africa, placing it within India’s extended maritime neighbourhood.

According to Reuters, the military had taken control and would suspend key state institutions, including the Senate and constitutional court. A transitional committee led by the armed forces would govern for up to two years before fresh elections are held.

Rajoelina, 51, was impeached by Madagascar’s lower house of parliament after defying calls to resign amid escalating Gen Z–driven demonstrations over power cuts, corruption, and economic hardship. Lawmakers from his own ruling coalition joined the impeachment vote, leaving the president isolated.

The crisis deepened as reports emerged that Rajoelina, who first seized power in a 2009 coup, fled aboard a French military plane after claiming threats to his life.

The protests, which began in late September, were fuelled by anger over deteriorating living standards and government mismanagement. Thousands of young demonstrators waving national flags and “One Piece” skull banners gathered in Antananarivo’s streets, chanting against what they called “French interference.”

After youth-led movements in Bangladesh and then Nepal toppled entrenched leaders earlier this year, Madagascar has become the third country in India’s extended neighbourhood to witness mass Gen Z uprisings that have upended established power structures.