Madagascar's Energy Minister Reportedly Fired Amidst Protests Over Widespread Power and Water Shortages
Madagascar's Energy Minister Reportedly Fired Amidst Protests Over Widespread Power and Water Shortages
President Andry Rajoelina’s decision to dismiss Olivier Jean-Baptiste follows a day of unrest in the capital, Antananarivo, where crowds clashed with police, leading to the use of rubber bullets and tear gas, local media reported.
The president acknowledged the energy minister's shortcomings, including frequent and lengthy power outages.
Rajoelina also strongly condemned the violence and acts of "destabilization" that accompanied the protests, where banks, shops, and a cable car station were set ablaze, and parliamentarians' homes were torched, the reports noted.
A dusk-to-dawn curfew has reportedly been imposed in the capital and extended to four other major cities.
Footage from social media
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