Youth protests in Madagascar continue to heat up

Electricity and water failures

Youth protests in Madagascar continue to heat up

Thousands protest in the East African island nation against power outages and poverty. The government is not enough for the demonstrators.

Despite the government’s dismissal, protests against electricity and water failures in Madagascar continue to obtain driving. In the capital Antananarivo, thousands gathered, including young people from the educational class for the first time, numerous residents from the workers’ districts. Safety forces used tear gas, glare grenades, rubber bullets and space cartridges to drive the crowd apart. In the early evening there were particularly violent clashes, as a DPA reporter reported on site.

The protests had initially started peacefully on Thursday in the capital of the East African island state and extended to other cities. On the edge there was looting and violence; The organizers reject that demonstrators were involved. Security forces grabbed sharply and presumably also used sharp ammunition. According to the UN, at least 22 people were killed and more than 100 were injured. The government rejected the numbers.

The movement is worn by well -trained young people between the ages of 18 and 28, who call themselves “gen z” according to the name of their generation and emphasize that they have no leaders. More than half of the country’s inhabitants are under 30 years old. The demonstrators complain about mismanagement and corruption. Among other things, Nepal serves as a model, where the head of government had resigned in early September after protests and serious unrest.

President Andry Rajoelina’s step of releasing the government on Monday evening in response to the protests does not satisfy the demands of the demonstrators. “This is a deception. The apple is lazy, and the system will not change if you polish it up with new heads,” said a demonstrator in Antananarivo of the German Press Agency. They call for the president’s resignation.

Madagascar with around 32 million inhabitants is located on the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. Much of the population lives in poverty. Since President Rajoelina took office in 2019, poverty has increased and the supply of electricity and drinking water has deteriorated. Despite an opposition boycott and depressed protests, Rajoelina was re -elected in 2023.