Air France halts flights to Madagascar over security concerns

The airline has suspended its Antananarivo route as a coup threat escalates

Air France has suspended flights between Paris and the Madagascan capital Antananarivo from October 11 to 13, as security concerns escalate over unrest in the African nation, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing an emailed statement from the company.

The airline said it is monitoring the situation in coordination with the authorities, adding that the decision to resume operations “will remain subject to a daily assessment.” According to the airline’s website, some flights to, from, or via Antananarivo’s airport may be disrupted until October 17.

The protests under the youth-led movement Gen Z Madagascar, which began on September 25, were initially sparked by widespread electricity outages and chronic water shortages. Police have used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds, with reports of looting and attacks on shopping centers. Authorities have imposed a nighttime curfew in the capital and sealed off major roads, but the unrest has persisted.

On Saturday, elite soldiers from CAPSAT units joined the protests, heightening tensions in the capital.

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Demonstrators have also issued an ultimatum to the government to depose President Andry Rajoelina within 48 hours, the Madagascar Tribune reported.

Speaking to RT, Vsevolod Sviridov, expert at the Center for African Studies at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, emphasized that the protests had been triggered by public discontent with the quality of the urban environment, not for other reasons such as election results. According to Sviridov, the “traditionally prominent role of young people in street protests” indicates a gradual shift in the sociopolitical landscape, and as the youth population grows and demands for a better quality of life rise, such protests are likely to “become a frequent occurrence in African countries.” 

In a statement on Sunday, Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina said an attempt to seize power by force is underway. The presidency called the move unconstitutional and urged all “national forces” to defend constitutional order. 

At the end of September, Rajoelina, responding to mounting pressure from public demonstrations, dissolved his government and named Army General Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo as the new prime minister.

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Rajoelina, a former DJ, came to power in a 2009 coup and led a transitional authority for nearly five years before winning the presidency in 2018. He was reelected in 2023 after weeks of protests and boycotts by several opposition candidates, pledging to build a stronger, more prosperous nation through industrialization, electrification, and broader access to basic services.