The president of Madagascar dissolves the government in the midst of “Gen Z” demonstrations

The president of Madagascar said that he would dissolve his government, after the days of protests led by young people on long -standing water and power cuts.

“We recognize and apologize if the members of the government have not carried out the tasks assigned to them,” Andry Rajoelina said on Monday in a national television address.

Thousands of protesters with genetically predominantly have come down to the streets of the cities of Madagascar since Thursday,, Under the rallying cry of “we want to live, not survive”.

The UN Human Rights Head condemned the “unnecessary force” used by the security forces to suppress the troubles, with at least 22 dead and 100 others injured.

Pacific demonstrations broke out Thursday in the capital Antananarivo, but have since spread to eight cities across the country.

A twilight curfew at dawn was imposed Thursday in the capital Antananarivo after the demonstrations became violent.

Last week, the president of Madagascar announced that he had dismissed the Minister of Energy for having failed to do his job properly, but the demonstrators demanded that the president and the rest of his government is also recovering.

Thousands of people have come back to the street again on Monday.

“I understand the anger, the sadness and the difficulties caused by the power cuts and the problems of water supply,” said Rajoelina during his speech on the state diffuser Televiziona Malagasy.

He said that he had “ended the functions of the Prime Minister and the Government” and that the requests of a new Prime Minister would be received over the next three days before the formation of a new government.

Rajoelina added that he wanted to talk to young people.

UNCHR chief Volker Türk said he was “shocked” by a violent repression by the security forces who saw blows, arrests, live balls and tear gas inflicted on demonstrators.

“I urge the security forces to refrain from the use of unnecessary and disproportionate strength and immediately publish all arbitrarily detained demonstrators,” Türk said in a statement published by his office on Monday.

According to the UN, the dead “include demonstrators and passers -by killed by members of the security forces, but also others killed in violence and looting that followed by individuals and gangs not associated with demonstrators”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar rejected the UN figures, alleging that the data “is based on rumors or disinformation”.

A banner at one of the demonstrations last week in Antananarivo read: “We don’t want any problems, we just want our rights”.

But some reports last week suggested that the demonstrators had damaged – perhaps by set fire to – the houses of at least two legislators.

But the “Gen Z” movement alleges that the hands -on men paid had various buildings in order to undermine their cause.

Madagascar was shaken by multiple uprisings since he acquired independence in 1960, in particular mass demonstrations in 2009 which forced the former president Marc Ravalomanana to resign and saw Rajoelina arrive in power.

The demonstrations mark the most important challenge that the president has faced since his third re -election in 2023.

Additional report by Danny Aeberhard