President Andry Rajoelina Apponion Army General as PM

The besieged president of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, appointed an army general as a new Prime Minister in order to end the demonstrations led by young people against his reign.

He said that the nation needed a Prime Minister “capable of restoring the order and the people’s confidence” before appointing General Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo to the post.

Days to come after the president expressed his fears for an attempted coup, the general’s appointment marks a significant militarization of the government and seems to be an attempt by Rajoelina to guarantee the support of the army at a time of increased tensions.

The protest movement, known as Gen Z Mada, rejected the general’s name as a new Prime Minister and gave Rajoelina 48 hours to resign.

“As long as Rajoelina remains in power, we will continue the fight,” said Gen Z Mada in a press release.

The events led by young people began on September 25, triggered by the anger of the public in the face of repeated cuts in water and power and have since transformed into broader dissatisfaction on corruption and high unemployment.

Last week, Rajoelina rejected Prime Minister Christian Ntsay, a civilian, and his entire cabinet to try to place the demonstrators.

In a declaration at the presidential palace later Monday, Rajoelina announced the appointment of General Zafisambo, saying that the Prime Minister should be “someone clean” and “ready to save Madagascar”.

General Zafisambo was the director of the Military Cabinet of the Prime Minister’s office until this appointment.

Last week, the UN said that at least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured in demonstrations, but the government rejected the figures, describing them as based on “rumors and disinformation”.

On Monday, the security forces clashed with demonstrators in several cities, while unrest on the island of the Indian Ocean entered its third week.

Several hundred young people, mainly university students, paraded from the capital of the capital, Antananarivo, in the city center.

A young man was injured and taken to hospital after clashes with the security forces that had erected barricades, the AFP news agency reported.

The clashes also took place in the southern city of Toliara and in the northern city of Diego Suarez.

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.

Rajoelina ruled for four years, then returned to power after the 2018 elections. The demonstrations mark the most important challenge he has faced since his re -election in 2023.

Despite its natural resources, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 75% of people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), only about a third of the 30 million people in Madagascar have access to electricity.