CITIZENS’ COMMUNIQUÉ – CALL FOR NATIONAL UNITY AND POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY
NO TO VIOLENCE, NO TO SILENCE — YES TO JUSTICE AND TRUTH!
In recent days, the situation in Madagascar has once again revealed the deep fragility of our democracy.
The recent acts of violence involving law enforcement officers against a young protester — left for dead before being rescued by residents and journalists — mark a tragic turning point in our nation’s recent history.
Enough is enough. No cause, no authority can ever justify the loss of a human life during the peaceful exercise of a fundamental right.
The arrest of young researchers and activists accused of “undermining state security” for having peacefully expressed their opinions reflects a broader and deeper malaise: a generation that dreams of a better future, yet faces growing obstacles to free expression.
We reaffirm our solidarity with all those who speak out in peace and dignity. Freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly are constitutional rights — the very foundation of every living democracy.
Today, Madagascar faces a profound moral, institutional, and political crisis. Justice, education, integrity, and human dignity are being severely tested.
The consequences are felt in the daily lives of every citizen:
• The repression or marginalization of intellectual and professional elites weakens our collective capacity to build the future;
• Corruption continues to corrode institutions and erode public trust in the State;
• Privilege and impunity granted to certain networks undermine citizen and entrepreneurial initiatives;
• The decline of meritocracy threatens the very stability of the Nation.
Meanwhile:
• Generation Z grows up amid insecurity and uncertainty, while unfulfilled promises deepen frustration;
• Women — the economic backbone of our nation — remain marginalized and without stable employment;
• Education, the cornerstone of development, is drifting away from its primary purpose: to empower and ensure equal opportunities.
Faced with this alarming situation, the Malagasy people can no longer remain silent.
We call on every citizen, every institution, and every force of the Nation to stand together for truth, peace, and justice.
We therefore solemnly call for:
• The immediate release of all peaceful demonstrators;
• The cessation of all forms of repression against Malagasy citizens — including youth, journalists, and defenders of democracy;
• The establishment of an independent investigation into acts of violence that have caused death or injury during recent demonstrations;
• The initiation of an inclusive national dialogue bringing together all national stakeholders;
• And, in a spirit of republican responsibility, the resignation of the President of the Republic of Madagascar in order to open a credible and peaceful political transition that respects the sovereignty and will of the Malagasy people.
This call is not born of anger, but of conscience — a plea to safeguard our Nation.
For when a government loses the trust of its people and can no longer ensure justice, peace, or security, true political courage lies in restoring dialogue, trust, and dignity to the Republic.
Let us remember the words of King Andrianampoinimerina:
“Ny mosary no fahavaloko.”
Hunger — and by extension, division and injustice — are our true enemies.
As long as we remain divided, poverty and injustice will prevail.
Masina ny Tanindrazana.
United, we are invincible.
For Madagascar — our land, our pride, our future.
Harime Sylvia RANDRIANARIVO
Elected Member, Analamanga Youth Parliament (2021)
Immediate Past President, Lions Club Antananarivo Miranandro
President, I.M.P.A.C.T Association Madagascar (2025–2029)
