Madagascar protests: Why Gen Z protesters want President President Andry Rajoelina to resign

President Rajoelina's move fails to quell the protest movement that is now threatening his own position.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveBehind the Gen Z protesters who want to force Madagascar's president from power22 minutes agoShareSaveOmega RakotomalalaBBC Monitoring andWycliffe MuiaShareSaveGamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesThousands of people in Madagascar have taken to the streets in different parts of the country for the past week in the largest wave of protests the Indian Ocean island nation has witnessed in more than 15 years.

What began as anger over shortages of basic necessities has rapidly escalated into one of the most serious challenges facing President Andry Rajoelina, who has been in power, for the second time, since 2018. On Monday, in response, he sacked his government but that did not placate the protesters, who now want him to go as well.

At least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 others injured in the unrest, according to the UN, although the Malagasy government has dismissed those figures and described them as based on "rumours and misinformation".

The protests have developed into a direct challenge to the president - the banner says "resign Rajoelina" Armed security forces have been deployed in the capitalPressure started to build following the arrest on 19 September of two leading city politicians, who had planned a peaceful demonstration in the capital, Antananarivo, over chronic power and water supply problems.

There have been hours-long daily outages of the services run by state-owned utility company Jirama.