More than a month after young people in Madagascar took to the streets—and won the support of the military—a new government has been sworn in. The movement has become one of the most striking examples of Generation Z’s global push for accountability, essential public services, and human rights. Three young Malagasy protesters spoke to RFI about what drove them to act, and what they hope comes next.
“I Felt Like I Was Sending People to Their Deaths”
“For me, Gen Z Madagascar was both distressing and liberating,” said 26-year-old Rocks, one of the driving forces behind the uprising.
“I felt like I was sending people to their deaths as we were being gassed, shot at, brutalised, and arrested by the police. I cried so much until the military joined us.”
Protests began on 25 September in Antananarivo and five other major cities. Frustrated by incessant power cuts and chronic water shortages, demonstrators called for the resignation of then-President Andry Rajoelina.
Security forces responded harshly. At least 24 people were killed in the first days, including a baby who died after inhaling tear gas, according to the United Nations.
A Movement Born Online
Sariaka Senecal, a diplomatic relations officer and one of Gen Z Madagascar’s spokespeople, recalls joining the movement from its inception. She connected through the group’s Instagram page with young Malagasy at home and abroad—in the United States, France, Germany, Canada, and Mauritius.
“My family didn’t believe social media could bring about real change,” she said. “Throughout the uprising, I was torn between hope and despair. I feared for my life and for my family because I decided to speak out. The regime felt untouchable.”
When she finally gave her first on-camera interview to the French media outlet Brut, she hid at home afterward, terrified of retaliation.
Gen Z Madagascar officially launched on Instagram on 18 September and on Facebook three days later. But for Rocks, the fight had begun years earlier, after a friend was arrested in 2022 for exposing alleged corruption in the Rajoelina administration. When that friend was freed in October 2025, following Rajoelina’s ouster, Rocks felt vindicated.
A Global Generation
Rocks said he was inspired by the rise of Gen Z movements worldwide—from Sri Lanka to Morocco, Kenya, and Nepal.
“There was a wind of change blowing,” he said. “I knew it was our time to stand up for our rights and fight against corruption and dictatorship.”
Around the world, Gen Z protesters have rallied under the flag of Monkey D. Luffy, the fearless pirate from the Japanese manga One Piece, symbolising their defiance of corrupt systems and authoritarian regimes. In Madagascar, artist Paiso Be redesigned the flag, adding a traditional Malagasy straw hat to localise the symbol.
The young activists say they drew strength from the Gen Z movement in Nepal, particularly from a viral speech by 16-year-old Avishkar Raut, who urged youth to become “instruments of change.”
“They managed to topple a corrupt government in 72 hours,” said Rocks. “They showed us how powerful people can be when united.”
“Silence Became Unbearable”
For 17-year-old student Aïko Rakiry, daily power cuts were the final straw.
“We’d wake up in the dark, get ready for school with a flashlight, and return home to the same darkness,” she told RFI. “One night, while studying for an exam, the power went out. I remember staring at my dead laptop and thinking, ‘How can we build a future like this?’”
“That’s when something inside me snapped. It wasn’t just about electricity anymore—it was about dignity. About being young and invisible in your own country.”
Aïko joined the movement’s online communications team, helping manage thousands of messages from people asking how to stay safe, where to meet, and how to help.
“Even behind a screen, I could feel everyone’s pain, anger, and hope,” she said. One photo stayed with her—a masked protester holding a sign that read: ‘We asked for light, they gave us death.’
The Turning Point
The protests were marred by violence and looting, especially in Antananarivo, where shops were destroyed.
“It was heartbreaking to see so much loss,” Rocks said. “I never wanted that.”
The movement’s momentum shifted on 11 October when Colonel Michael Randrianirina, commander of the elite Capsat military unit, publicly defied Rajoelina’s orders to open fire.
In a viral video, Randrianirina declared that the army would not shoot “friends, brothers, and sisters.”
“Free at last!” Rocks recalled shouting when he heard the news.
The next day, Rajoelina was evacuated to France aboard a military aircraft. On 14 October, Madagascar’s National Assembly voted to impeach him, and the Constitutional Court named Randrianirina acting head of state.
He was sworn in on 17 October, promising elections within two years. A transitional government led by a civilian prime minister took office on 28 October.
“We must listen to the voice of the youth,” Randrianirina said at his inauguration.
Youth at the Heart of Power
Sariaka says the new leadership has shown signs of openness.
“From my discussions with the presidency, it seems the current president truly wants to include young people in decision-making,” she said. “But I’m not naïve—some in government will resist our input. This will test both his determination and our trust.”
Rocks warned that the people remain vigilant: “Power belongs to the people, and we can take it back anytime.”
He urged the new administration to restore judicial independence. “We must remove judges who are beholden to politicians. Only then can we bring the corrupt to justice.”
In mid-October, a Gen Z Madagascar member in Mauritius filed a lawsuit that prompted the Financial Crimes Commission to investigate businessman Maminiaina “Mamy” Ravatomanga, a close ally of Rajoelina. About $180 million of his assets in four Mauritian banks have been frozen. Ravatomanga, who arrived on a private jet on 12 October, was arrested on 24 October.
A Land of the Young
According to the World Bank, more than 80 percent of Madagascar’s 30 million citizens live below the poverty line, earning less than €1.80 a day.
Gen Z Madagascar has called for fairer access to the internet, declaring that “connectivity should not be a privilege for the few.”
Rocks looks to the future with cautious optimism. “In five years, I’ll be 31. I want to live in a peaceful Madagascar, with a decent job, reliable water and electricity, and freedom to speak without fear,” he said. “The last seven years were years of fear—we couldn’t even criticise the government without risking arrest or disappearance.”
For Sariaka, the movement has been transformative. “Gen Z gave me a purpose,” she said. “I feel like I’m walking in my grandfather’s footsteps. In 1972, he too protested for a better Madagascar.”
That earlier uprising, which demanded “Madagascar for the Malagasy,” ended with dozens of peaceful protesters killed and the resignation of the country’s first president.
“It feels as though I’m continuing a fight my grandfather never saw through,” she said. “I am the bridge between Tanindrazana—the land of our ancestors—and Taninjanaka—the land of our children. My generation’s legacy must be to end this cycle, so our children will no longer have to fight for a better Madagascar.”
Source: modernghana
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