Andry Rajoelina, the former president, whom lawmakers impeached for desertion of duty after he fled abroad last weekend, has condemned the army takeover and refused to step down while in exile. Rajoelina fled for his life amid the nationwide protests led by the Gen Z Madagascar youth movement, which initially erupted in September over persistent water and power cuts and soon expanded into calls for a system overhaul. Rajoelina says he has travelled to a safe location, which he has not disclosed.
He had also accused the assembly of colluding with Randrianirina to mount the military takeover. In a statement to the AFP news agency late on Wednesday, Rajoelina said he left the country between October 11 and 12 after explicit and extremely serious threats were made against the life of the Head of State. According to news reports, Rajoelina was evacuated on Sunday on board a French military plane. On Monday, Rajoelina said he had taken refuge in a safe place without giving further details.
The Mercator map distorts continent sizes, enlarging areas near the poles while shrinking Africa and South America. This false representation influences media, education, and policy.