SATV Kathmandu Oct 14: Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has fled the country after weeks of unrest that began over power cuts and water shortages and spiralled into mass protests demanding his resignation, Al Jazeera reported.

In a live address on Facebook, Rajoelina said he had moved to a “safe location” for his protection but did not reveal where. His announcement came amid reports that he had been flown out of the country on Sunday.

According to Al Jazeera, the protests, which started on September 25, have drawn thousands into the streets and exposed public anger over poverty, inflation and alleged government corruption.

Demonstrations in the capital Antananarivo intensified this week, with crowds joined by soldiers and police personnel waving flags and chanting slogans against the president.

Rajoelina was expected to deliver a televised address on Monday, but his office said the speech was delayed after a group of soldiers threatened to seize control of the state broadcaster. Al Jazeera reported that the Home Ministry called the situation “highly volatile”, as parts of the security forces appeared to side with protesters.

International concern is growing. French President Emmanuel Macron said from Egypt that France was “deeply worried” about its former colony but refused to confirm whether his government had helped evacuate Rajoelina. 

“I will not confirm anything today,” Macron said, when asked if France had flown him out. The United Nations has said that at least 22 people have died in clashes between demonstrators and security forces since late September, Al Jazeera noted.

A military source told Reuters, as cited by Al Jazeera, that Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday aboard a French military aircraft after being escorted by helicopter to Sainte Marie Airport. His departure came just a day after several army units defected, a move the president condemned as “an attempt to seize power illegally.” 

The elite CAPSAT unit, once instrumental in bringing Rajoelina to power during a 2009 coup, later announced it had taken control of the military and would refuse to fire on protesters.

As protests continue, demonstrators say they want Rajoelina to apologise and resign. “After that, we can discuss elections and who should lead,” protester Finaritra Manitra Andrianamelasoa told AFP, according to Al Jazeera. 

Analysts say Madagascar’s unrest echoes youth-led protest movements seen in other nations, including Nepal, where public anger recently forced President KP Sharma Oli from office.