Young people across Africa, many born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, have mobilised to demand better services, transparency and political voice. In Madagascar protests that began on September 25 over power cuts and water shortages quickly broadened to include corruption, inequality, food insecurity and eventual calls for the president to step down.
On October 12, when protesters said his life was in danger, President Andry Rajoelina disappeared; reports later said he travelled via the French island of Reunion to Dubai. Demonstrations were largely peaceful and organised through social media, yet authorities used heavy repression. The United Nations reported 22 people killed, while a special advisor told TV5 Monde that no deaths had occurred, a claim rejected by protesters.
Protesters adopted a skull-and-crossbones symbol from the manga One Piece, adding a Malagasy hat, and marched across the capital, other cities and diaspora communities. They criticised visible signs of wealth—new buildings, large cars—and expensive projects like a new football stadium and an electric cable car during shortages of electricity and water. Madagascar has recent mineral discoveries—sapphires, gold, graphite and cobalt—and exports like vanilla, lychees, cocoa and coffee, yet the average Malagasy is poorer than 20 years ago and 75% live below the poverty line. A remark by the president that rural poor were "nevertheless happy" increased public anger.
In Morocco, mass youth demonstrations began in mid-September after the deaths of eight women in childbirth, drawing attention to weak healthcare, poor education and corruption. Volunteers and communities supported protesters with medical care, legal help and food. Many young people link current problems to colonial histories, citing the brutal repression of the 1947 anticolonial rebellion with an estimated death toll around 100,000 and pointing to political ties with France, including Rajoelina's 2009 coup, refuge in the French embassy and his 2014 French naturalisation; Article 46 of Madagascar's constitution disallows a president holding French citizenship.
Difficult words
- mobilise — to organise people to act togethermobilised
- transparency — openness about actions and decisions
- repression — use of force to stop protests
- diaspora — people from a country living abroad
- shortage — not having enough of somethingshortages
- naturalisation — legal process of becoming a citizen
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Discussion questions
- How does the article suggest social media influenced the organisation of protests? Give reasons.
- Why might people protest when a country has valuable mineral exports? Use examples from the text.
- How could historical and political ties with former colonial powers affect public trust in leaders?
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