Recent protests in Madagascar have revealed a strong wave of anti France sentiment as demonstrators voiced anger against the former colonial power while demanding the resignation of impeached President Andry Rajoelina. Placards and slogans saying “France out” and “Rajoelina and Macron out” appeared during demonstrations following reports that the president fled the country on a French military plane. This happened as a military unit threw its weight behind protesters calling for Rajoelina’s resignation.
Many Malagasy people expressed frustration at what they see as ongoing interference by France, despite Madagascar having been independent for decades. Koloina Andrianina Rakotomavonirina, a 26 year old engineer who took part in a demonstration in Antananarivo, told AFP that “They are still colonising us even though we are supposed to be independent.” She added that France’s intervention in Madagascar’s affairs was unfair.
The political crisis escalated when the national assembly impeached President Rajoelina for desertion of duty after his disappearance, paving the way for a military unit called CAPSAT to seize power. The whereabouts of the 51 year old president remain unknown at this time.
Political analyst Christiane Rafidinarivo, based in Paris, explained that negative feelings toward France are deeply rooted in the country’s colonial history. France ruled Madagascar until 1960 and was responsible for brutal repression during a 1947 uprising that claimed tens of thousands of lives. “France represents colonialism,” Rafidinarivo said, noting that public opinion about France often depends on current political events.
Although French President Emmanuel Macron refused to confirm French involvement in Rajoelina’s evacuation, suspicions rose when a presidential pardon was granted to two French nationals jailed in Madagascar on coup charges just as reports of Rajoelina’s departure emerged. This fueled speculation of a possible deal between the Malagasy leader and France.
Rajoelina’s close ties with France have been controversial for years. In 2023, reports surfaced that he had acquired French citizenship nine years earlier, which sparked calls for his disqualification from the presidential race. Opposition groups argued he should have lost his Malagasy citizenship under local law. Despite the controversy, Rajoelina won reelection, although the vote was boycotted by most opposition parties and turnout was low.
Historian Adrien Ratsimbaharison, author of a book on Madagascar’s 2009 coup, said opposition critics accused Rajoelina of being a French agent, partly because former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was the first foreign leader to recognize him as president during a 2011 state visit. Ratsimbaharison also mentioned suspicions that Sarkozy helped fund the 2009 protests that brought Rajoelina to power.
Misinformation has also fueled resentment, such as a widely shared but misleading photo of supposed French gendarmes deployed to support Rajoelina. The image was of a Malagasy gendarme trained in France, but it was taken out of context.
Anti France feelings are further deepened by the presence of French companies that benefit from low wage workers in Madagascar and by issues such as sex tourism linked to French visitors. Mampionona Razafinjoelina, a former call centre worker, said he quit his job because he was tired of being insulted by French employers.
President Macron visited Madagascar in April and said he wanted to create the conditions for forgiveness for France’s colonial past. Actions taken include returning the remains of a Malagasy king killed by the French army in 1897 and creating a commission to investigate colonial atrocities.
