Madagascar’s young protest activists say they feel betrayed by the authorities who took power after President Andry Rajoelina fled and the military seized control.

The movement began with a September 25 protest over chronic shortages of water and electricity. Soldiers from the Capsat military unit later joined the demonstrations in October, a development activists recalled as a moment of relief and hope.

Rajoelina subsequently left the country, while Capsat commander Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as interim leader on October 17. The unrest claimed at least 22 lives, including people killed during a government crackdown.

Limited changes and a crackdown

Herizo Andriamanantena, a figurehead of the movement, said the period after the military takeover brought only “little changes here and there.” Colonel Randrianirina has promised elections by the end of next year, but the available information does not establish whether that pledge will be fulfilled.

When activists organised a march in April to protest what they viewed as the slow pace of promised reforms, the new authorities responded with a crackdown, according to the account of the movement.

Andriamanantena and five other activists were jailed. He said he spent 13 days in police custody after being accused of endangering state security and having contact with people allegedly planning another coup.

“We were accused of endangering state security, of being in contact with people who were planning another coup,” he said.

Andriamanantena also described being held in a small cell with around 20 prisoners. Lawyer Maromanana Aliarivelo said the charge of endangering state security has been used for years by those in power in Madagascar to silence critics.

Nomena Ratsihorimanana, an activist and former employee of the National Human Rights Observatory, said he was violently arrested and released after five days in detention. He alleged that an SUV struck his motorbike before he was beaten and threatened. Those allegations have not been independently verified.

A divided movement

The movement was made up mainly of urban, educated young people, although its supporters did not all fit the birth-year range commonly associated with Generation Z. Its Facebook page, Gen Z Madagascar, had around 200,000 followers at the height of the revolt before it was hacked and deleted shortly before the military switched sides.

Felana Andriatahina, an activist and eco-construction entrepreneur, said protesters helped bring the current authorities to power. “It’s thanks to us taking to the streets… that they’re in power today,” she said, describing the government’s treatment of the movement as “a betrayal.”

Political scientist Ketakandriana Rafitoson said divisions within the movement had made it difficult to determine who represented the “real” Gen Z activists.

One faction has affirmed its support for Colonel Randrianirina, while another has expressed reservations about official commemorations. Elliot Randriamandrato, administrator of the original Facebook page, questioned the value of repeating events that were already being used for official purposes.

Official commemorations were planned in Antananarivo for the first anniversary of the protests, including a programme at May 13 Square. The competing positions reflect the divisions that have emerged among activists who once mobilised around demands for reliable public services and political change.