Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has reportedly fled the country.
The development comes amidst intensifying protests calling for his resignation.
News360 Info reports that Rajoelina was scheduled to address the nation at 17:30 GMT on Monday, but postponed it due to a threat from soldiers to seize state television, as cited by the presidency.
This is the second time the president, who has also not been seen in public since last Wednesday, has had his speech postponed.
Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, leader of the opposition in parliament, told Reuters that Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday after units of the army defected and joined the protesters.
“We called the staff of the presidency, and they confirmed that he left the country,” Reuters quoted Randrianasoloniaiko as saying.
Citing a military source, Reuters reported that Rajoelina flew out of the country on a French military aircraft. RFI, French radio, said he had struck a deal with President Emmanuel Macron.
Meanwhile, Christian Ntsay, Rajoelina’s former prime minister, and Maminiaina Ravatomanga, a businessman close to the president, flew to Mauritius “urgently” on Sunday, the Mauritian government confirmed.
Before his reported flight out of Madagascar, Rajoelina warned of an ongoing plot to grab power illegally as soldiers joined the youth-led protests.
Hours after the announcement, CAPSAT, an elite army unit, stated that it had assumed control of the military command and is now in charge of all the armed forces, including land, air, and naval forces.
On Sunday, soldiers were cheered by anti-government protesters, creating a volatile atmosphere after President Andry Rajoelina announced an attempted coup was in progress.
The event marks a dramatic escalation in three weeks of youth-led protests that have shaken the Indian Ocean nation.
In a stunning display, military personnel stood alongside jubilant demonstrators in Antananarivo, with army leaders openly expressing support for the protests.
This fraternisation occurred just hours after a statement from President Rajoelina’s office alerted the nation to an “attempt to seize power illegally and by force.”
Despite the significant military presence, the day passed without immediate signs of violence, leaving the president’s claim and the military’s true allegiance in a tense, unresolved state.
