Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina confirmed on Monday that he is in a “safe place” and urged “respect for the constitution,” while the country has been witnessing anti-government protests for weeks. This was his first speech since soldiers joined the protesters over the weekend.

In a speech broadcast live on Facebook without revealing his location, the 51-year-old president said he was in a “safe place” following an “assassination attempt.”

He affirmed that “the only way to solve these problems is to respect the constitution,” and refused to step down in response to calls from the protest movement that has been ongoing since September 25 on the “poor” island in the Indian Ocean.

According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), Rajoelina took a “French military plane to the island of La Réunion on Sunday before leaving to another destination with his family.”

During his participation in a summit on Gaza at the Sharm El Sheikh resort in Egypt, French President Emmanuel Macron, when asked about the situation, said, “I cannot confirm anything today,” expressing “great concern” about Madagascar.

Macron added, “I would like to express here our great concern and France’s friendship towards the Malagasy people (…) I believe it is very important to maintain the constitutional order and institutional continuity in Madagascar, as it concerns the country’s stability and the interests of its people.”

He continued, “We look at the youth of these countries with much admiration and affection. These young people have expressed their opinions, they are politicized, and they want to live better. (…) They simply should not be exploited by military factions or foreign interventions.”

Rajoelina, who won a new five-year presidential term in 2023 in an election boycotted by the opposition, accused “a group of soldiers and politicians” of trying to kill him.

Rajoelina’s speech was postponed several times on Monday due to the entry of “a group of armed soldiers” into the official television headquarters, which ultimately did not broadcast the speech.

In his speech, Rajoelina said, “I had to find a safe place to protect my life today. In everything that is happening, I have never stopped looking for solutions.”

He pointed out that he holds no “grudge” against those involved in the “assassination attempt” and emphasized that he is open to “dialogue to get out of this situation.”

Rajoelina reminded of the threat to the country of a shortage of international funding if it sinks into political turmoil, as happened after the 2009 coup that brought him to power for the first time.

At least 80 percent of Madagascar’s 32 million population live on less than 15,000 ariary per day (2.80 euros), which is below the poverty line defined by the World Bank.