A leaderless, youth-driven movement in Madagascar has refused to join talks convened by President Andry Rajoelina, insisting authorities first halt forceful crowd control and accept accountability for recent deaths and injuries. The group has threatened a nationwide strike, escalating pressure after weeks of protests over chronic power and water shortages widened into demands for political change.

Protesters Reject Dialogue

Demonstrators who coalesced after Sept. 25 say they will not sit down with a government that “represses, assaults and humiliates its youth.” They have called for the president to step aside, a public apology, and institutional reforms, while urging a general strike to amplify their message. Organizers frame themselves as a peaceful, digitally networked cohort inspired by youth mobilizations elsewhere, using social platforms for logistics and fund-raising as marches continue across Antananarivo and other cities.

Casualties And Policing

The U.N. human rights chief reports at least 22 people killed and more than 100 injured in the initial days of unrest, condemning excessive force; the government disputes those figures without giving its own totals. Police have repeatedly dispersed student gatherings and marches, including outside major hospitals and campuses. “I don’t want flattery. I want to hear the truth,” the president told attendees at his dialogue session, but protesters say on-the-street tactics contradict that pledge.

Political And Economic Stakes

In response to the turmoil, the president dismissed his cabinet, named a new prime minister, and overhauled security leadership, instructing them to restore order. The confrontation is unfolding as the export-reliant economy grapples with inflation and a wider current-account gap, with vanilla, nickel and cobalt revenues under pressure—conditions that heighten social strains and job insecurity. Protest leaders argue that failing services and living costs made unrest inevitable, and that concessions must address governance and livelihoods, not just policing.