ANTANANARIVO – In a dramatic turn of events, Madagascar has witnessed a military coup that has resulted in the ousting of President Andry Rajoelina, who has since fled the country. This significant political upheaval on the Indian Ocean island marks a pivotal moment in its history.

To understand the series of events that led to this dramatic takeover, here’s a brief timeline highlighting key incidents in the former French colony off Africa’s east coast:

Sept. 25: Youth Protests Ignite

Frustration boiled over as thousands of young people took to the streets to protest against persistent issues like water and power outages. The government’s response was swift and forceful, with security forces deploying tear gas and rubber bullets to quell the unrest. This wave of protests, largely organized through social media under the banner “Gen Z Madagascar,” quickly gained momentum, amassing over 100,000 followers on its Facebook page.

In response to the growing unrest, authorities imposed nighttime curfews in the capital city, Antananarivo, as well as in other major urban areas.

Sept. 29: Government Dissolution

President Andry Rajoelina fires his prime minister and the entire Cabinet in an attempt to appease the protesters. He says he has heard young Madagascans’ grievances.

The protests grow, though, into wider discontent over other issues, including the cost of living, limited job opportunities and corruption and nepotism among the elite.

The United Nations says at least 22 people were killed in the early days of the protests and blames security forces for a violent crackdown to what started as peaceful protests.

Oct. 8: President’s offer rejected by protesters

Rajoelina calls for dialogue and invites youth protesters and other civic groups to talks. The protesters reject the offer, saying they won’t meet with a government that kills its people. They call for protests to continue.

Oct. 11: Soldiers rebel against Rajoelina

The turning point in weeks of anti-government demonstrations comes when an elite military unit rebels against Rajoelina and joins the protests. The soldiers riding in armored vehicles accompany protesters to a main square in downtown Antananarivo that has connections to previous uprisings and had been locked off by security forces.

There, Col. Michael Randrianirina, the commander of the unit, says his soldiers will disobey orders to quell the protests and he calls for Rajoelina to step down to cheers from the Gen Z protesters.

There is no reaction from Rajoelina, whose whereabouts are unknown.

Oct. 12: Coup leader asserts his authority

Randrianirina, who is emerging as the coup leader, starts to assert his authority and says his unit is in charge of all the armed forces of Madagascar. They appoint a new general of the military, which is accepted by the minister of defense in an indication that Randrianirina is now in a position of authority.

Rajoelina breaks his silence in a statement released by his office and says there has been an illegal attempt to seize power in Madagascar. It’s still not known where the president is.

Oct. 13: President makes a speech in hiding

After not appearing in public for days, Rajoelina makes a speech on social media and says he has fled Madagascar in fear for his life after being told there was a plot to assassinate him at his presidential palace. He calls for the constitution to be respected and says he is still the leader of the country but does not say where he is.

Oct. 14: Military announces takeover

A tumultuous day starts with Rajoelina issuing a decree from his secret location to dissolve parliament in an attempt to block a vote by lawmakers to impeach him. Lawmakers ignore the decree and overwhelmingly vote to impeach the 51-year-old leader.

Right after the vote, Randrianirina, the military colonel, appears with other soldiers in front of an old symbolic presidential palace and announces the military is taking power. Randrianirina says a military council will be in charge of the country for at least 18 months before new elections.

Oct. 15: The colonel to become president

Randrianirina says he will take up the position of president and will soon take the oath of office to make it official. In a later statement, he says he will be sworn in on Friday at the country’s highest court.

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More AP coverage of Madagascar’s military coup: https://apnews.com/hub/madagascar