[Anglican Communion News Service] The president of the Malagasy Episcopal Church, the Rt. Rev. Samoela Jaona Ranarivelo, has shared a statement calling for peace and stability in Madagascar following violence and killings around Gen-Z protests. The church is in the Province of the Indian Ocean.
Issued on Sept. 29, the statement expresses “deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones” and the “full recovery to the injured and offer comfort to those whose property has been destroeyd in these difficult times.”
In the statement the church “strongly condemn the killings, the use of force and the looting taking place in the country. We call upon the security forces to refrain from using violence against young people and others who express their opinion, since this is a fundamental right.”
The church has called the Malagasy people”‘to remain united, to preserve peace and to safeguard the common good of the nation – seeking peace and justice and refusing to fall into the traps set by the enemies of the nation.”
The statement was made as Madagascar is currently experiencing significant Gen-Z-led protests and a major political crisis.
The protests, dubbed the “Leo Délestage” movement (meaning “fed up with load shedding”), erupted in late September over chronic water and electricity cuts affecting the capital of Antananarivo and other cities. The capital regularly experiences power and water outages lasting up to 12 hours at a time.
The demonstrations represent the largest unrest Madagascar has seen in years and the most serious challenge to President Andry Rajoelina since his 2023 re-election.
According to the United Nations, at least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured, although Rajoelina has contested this figure.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Sept. 29 expressed shock at the violent response by security forces to the protests. “I am shocked and saddened by the killings and injuries in the protests over water and power cuts in Madagascar… I urge the authorities to ensure respect for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, consistent with their obligations under international human rights law,” he said.
The victims have included protesters and bystanders killed by members of the security forces, as well as others killed in subsequent widespread violence and looting by individuals and gangs not associated with the protesters.
In response to the unrest, Rajoelina on Sept. 29 dissolved the government, firing Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and his cabinet while they remain in interim roles until a new government forms.
The protests reflect deeper frustrations with widespread poverty in Madagascar, with the World Bank recording a sharp rise in urban poverty levels in recent years.
The movement draws inspiration from similar Gen-Z protests in Kenya and Nepal that successfully challenged governments.
The statement from the Malagasy Episcopal Church follows.
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “That which we have seen and heard we declare…” (1 John 1:3a)
In view of the current situation in the country, the Malagasy Episcopal Church issues the following statement:
The Church stands as Shepherd and Prophet, always at the side of the Malagasy people who are oppressed and suffering.
We extend our deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones, wish full recovery to the injured, and offer comfort to those whose property has been destroyed in these difficult times.
We strongly condemn the killings, the use of force and the looting taking place in the country. We call upon the security forces to refrain from using violence against young people and others who express their opinions, since this is a fundamental right. We also demand the unconditional release of those who have been arrested for expressing their views.
We call on the Malagasy people to remain united, to preserve peace and to safeguard the common good of the nation-seeking peace and justice, and refusing to fall into the traps set by the enemies of the nation.
Prayer changes things; therefore, we call on all Christians throughout the island to pray for the nation – to intercede, to repent and to ask forgiveness for our beloved land.
Let us encourage one another and pray with hope, for while there is still an end, hope is not lost.
May the Lord be with you!
The Rt. Rev. Samoela Jaona Ranarivelo, president of the FEEM