President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina stated that he left the country fearing for his life, writes Euronews.
Mass anti-government protests in Madagascar reached a «critical point» on Saturday when an elite military unit CAPSAT joined them, calling for Rajoelina and his ministers to resign, the agency writes.
The President of Madagascar stated that there is an illegal attempt to seize power in the country and left the country. «I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life», — said Rajoelina in his nighttime address broadcast on the president's official Facebook page*.
A military source told Reuters that Rajoelina left Madagascar on a French military plane on Sunday. French radio RFI reported that the evacuation was agreed upon with French President Emmanuel Macron, with Paris taking the position of not interfering in the events in Madagascar.
Protests and unrest in the country with a population of 31 million began on September 25 due to chronic water and power supply disruptions and escalated into broader dissatisfaction with Rajoelina and his government over larger issues, including corruption and ineffective governance.
Rajoelina assumed the presidency of Madagascar as a result of a coup in 2009. At that time, he was supported by the military CAPSAT, but this time they joined the protesters.
* The owner of Facebook, Meta, is recognized as an «extremist» organization in Russia.
Photo: AP