(MENAFN) Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has appointed Army General Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo as the nation’s new prime minister, replacing Christian Ntsay, following the dissolution of his government amid ongoing nationwide unrest.

Announcing the change on Monday, Rajoelina said the country required a “prime minister capable of restoring order and the people’s trust” as demonstrations over persistent electricity and water shortages enter a third week.

The president dismissed his cabinet last week, yet calls for Rajoelina’s resignation have grown louder. The protests, which began on September 25, were initially triggered by widespread blackouts and chronic water shortages. Police have responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, and there have been reports of looting and attacks on shopping centers. Authorities imposed a nighttime curfew in the capital and blocked major roads, but the unrest has continued.

Thousands have rallied in Antananarivo and other cities under the banner of the youth-led movement Gen Z Madagascar, chanting slogans including “Rajoelina Out,” “We are poor, angry, and unhappy,” and “Madagascar is ours.”

“I understand the anger, the sadness, and the difficulties caused by power cuts and water supply problems. I heard the call, I felt the suffering, I understood the impact on daily life,” Rajoelina said in a televised speech on state broadcaster Televiziona Malagasy.

Rajoelina, who first assumed power in a 2009 coup and led a transitional authority for nearly five years before winning the presidency in 2018, was reelected in 2023 after weeks of protests and opposition boycotts. He has pledged to strengthen the nation through industrialization, electrification, and broader access to basic services.

The unrest in Madagascar echoes youth-led movements in Morocco, where groups such as GenZ 212 and Morocco Youth Voices have mobilized online against inadequate public services. What began as calls for better infrastructure has escalated into riots, vandalism, and attacks on state institutions.

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