BREAKING: President Fires Energy Minister Over Power Outages

Madagascar’s President, Andry Rajoelina, has dismissed the country’s energy minister following persistent daily power outages lasting more than 12 hours.

The move comes after days of public protests demanding urgent government intervention to address crippling electricity and water shortages that have severely impacted homes and businesses.

Authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew after unrest escalated, with banks and shops looted and set ablaze, while the homes of three pro-government lawmakers were also torched.

According to a hospital source, five protesters lost their lives in the violence, though AFP could not independently verify the figures with official sources.

In addition, one of Antananarivo’s newly built cable car stations – a flagship project of the government – was also set on fire.

Beyond the capital, authorities extended the night-time curfew to four other major cities: Antsiranana, Majunga, Toliara, and Antsirabe.

Although the demonstrations were described as “peaceful,” police reportedly used rubber bullets to disperse crowds, resulting in casualties. The African Union has since appealed for calm and called for dialogue as the protest enters its third day, warning against further escalation of unrest in the East African nation.