Thousands of residents, mostly young people, took to the streets in Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo on Monday in protest against poor water and energy supplies. They called for the resignation of the government. President Andry Rajoelina said Monday that he is dissolving the government. “We recognize that government members have not performed the duties entrusted to them and apologize for that,” he said
Demonstrators, inspired by recent riots among young people in Kenya and Nepal, gathered Monday at the university in Antananarivo, where they sang the national anthem and attempted to initiate a march through the city. Barricades had been built in other parts of the city, which police removed. Police also deployed tear gas.
Some fatalities were protesters or bystanders killed by police or security forces. Others were killed during the widespread violence sparked by criminal gangs and looters as a result of the demonstrations.
Türk expressed disgust at the authorities’ violent crackdown. “I am shocked and saddened by the deaths and injuries in the protests over water and energy shortages in Madagascar,” he said. The UN human rights chief condemned the police crackdown and called on security forces to “refrain from unnecessary and disproportionate force and release all arbitrarily detained protesters.”
The Dutch Foreign Ministry has tightened its travel advice for Madagascar. Dutch travel company Djoser has been trying to get travelers out of the country since this weekend, general manager Bart van der Velde confirmed to ANP.
An attempt was made this weekend to get a group of about 18 people to fly back with Emirates, but to no avail. According to Van der Velde, the people are waiting in good health and safety in a hotel near the airport in Antananarivo until they do succeed.
Another group of 16 Dutch people who were supposed to be in Madagascar until later in October have broken off the trip from the west coast and are en route by land to the airport. That will take several days, Van der Velde said. That group is scheduled to fly back to the Netherlands on Wednesday.
