The arrest of four Gen Z activists in Madagascar has intensified concerns among young people that the military regime, which seized power in October 2025 after widespread youth-led protests, may not be any better than the government it overthrew. The activists—Herizo Andriamanantena. Miora Rakotomalala. Dina Randrianarisoa. And Nomena Ratsihorimanana—were arrested on 12 April, two days after participating in a protest demanding a set election date, their lawyer said.

Legal Claims and Denials

The activists are accused of undermining state security and criminal conspiracy, according to their lawyer, Aliarivelo Maromanana — he stated that all four have denied the charges and that there is no evidence to support them. Two of the activists were released and admitted to hospital on Tuesday, Maromanana said, but By Friday, only Herizo, the group’s leader, was still in detention. Local media reported that the national police claimed the activists were not harmed or intimidated during their detention, and the two in hospital had taken ill.

New Arrests and Concerns

On Wednesday night. Two additional activists were arrested. According to Gen Z 261, one of the groups that emerged from the previously leaderless Gen Z Madagascar movement. No further details were available about their detention; these recent arrests have raised concerns among young people who had initially celebrated the departure of the previous president, Andry Rajoelina, in October 2025.

However, many have since become disenchanted with Col Michael Randrianirina’s choice of government officials, whom they view as part of the old, corrupt elite. They are also frustrated by a lack of economic reforms and the new regime’s apparent closeness to Russia. The arrests have sparked “serious concerns around the respect for fundamental freedoms,” said Ketakandriana Rafitoson, a Transparency International Madagascar board member. She noted that this pattern was seen under the previous administration and that the recent protests were a test for the new regime, which she said has failed.

Economic and Social Challenges

Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island of 32 million people, is rich in biodiversity and natural resources, including vanilla, rubies, and sapphires. However, the former French colony has been plagued by coups, corruption, and natural disasters exacerbated by the climate crisis. In 2024, it was the fifth poorest country in the world, with a GDP per capita of $545, according to the World Bank.

The September protests erupted after two councillors in the capital, Antananarivo, were arrested for protesting against water and electricity outages. Since the regime change, these services have not seen significant improvements, said Elliot Randriamandrato, a leader of Gen Z Madagasikara, another Gen Z Madagascar group. He noted that there have been no visible reforms implemented by the government, leading to frustration among the population.

Randriamandrato said he was less concerned about the government announcing an election date—President Randrianirina has said it will be within two years of his October takeover—than with the drafting of a new constitution. He emphasized the need for clarity on the date and method of the constitutional consultation, noting that it is during these consultations that real issues will be addressed. He cited electoral reform as a key change his group is seeking, stating that the current system favors those with more money.

The president’s spokesperson, Harry Laurent Rahajason, referred to a press conference where he said authorities were investigating corruption estimated at 3,811bn ariary (£679m) and linked the investigations to threats against the president. Rahajason showed a video of what he said were drones flying above the president’s home on the night of 11 April, according to Radio France Internationale. He also claimed there was a plan to set the national parliament on fire.

The military regime has received donations of military trucks, helicopters, and tanks from Russia, following Randrianirina’s visit to Moscow in February. Shely Andriamihaja, a member of Gen Z Madagasikara, said her group is “very worried about the risk of new state capture from foreign countries,” adding that she was not defending France, the former colonial ruler.

Rahajason confirmed that there were Russians in Randrianirina’s presidential guard. When asked for the number and the reason for their presence, he replied: “Why are you asking this question? … Why did the Ukrainian president call on guards of other nationalities? Why is it normal? And why, when a Malagasy calls on the services of international guards, why is it not normal?”