According to reports, Andry Rajoelina, the president of Madagascar, has left the nation.
This development coincides with growing demonstrations demanding his resignation.
According to reports, Rajoelina was supposed to speak to the country on Monday at 17:30 GMT, but the presidency cited a threat from troops to take control of state television as the reason for the postponement.
The president’s speech has been postponed twice now, and he hasn’t been seen in public since last Wednesday.
Rajoelina departed Madagascar on Sunday after army forces defected and joined the demonstrators, according to Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, the head of the opposition in parliament, who spoke to Reuters.
Randrianasoloniaiko told Reuters, “We called the presidential staff, and they confirmed that he left the country.”
Rajoelina left the country on a French military plane, according to Reuters, which cited a military source. He had reached an agreement with President Emmanuel Macron, according to French radio station RFI.
Maminiaina Ravatomanga, a businessman close to the president, and Christian Ntsay, the former prime minister of Rajoelina, took a “urgent” flight to Mauritius on Sunday, according to the Mauritian authorities.
As soldiers joined the youth-led rallies, Rajoelina warned of an ongoing plan to illegally seize power prior to his alleged flight out of Madagascar.
An elite army unit called CAPSAT announced hours after the declaration that it had taken over the military command and is now in charge of all armed forces, including the air, sea, and land troops.
After President Andry Rajoelina said that a coup attempt was underway, anti-government demonstrators cheered soldiers on Sunday, causing a tense situation.
The incident represents a sharp uptick in the three weeks of youth-led demonstrations that have rocked the country on the Indian Ocean.
In a breathtaking spectacle, army authorities publicly endorsed the protests as armed men joined with joyful protesters in Antananarivo.
Hours after President Rajoelina’s office warned the country of a “attempt to seize power illegally and by force,” this fraternization took place.
The day went by without any immediate indications of violence, despite the heavy military presence, leaving the president’s claim and the military’s actual loyalty in a tense and unresolved situation.
