Gen Z Madagascar vs President Rajoelina
Protests in Madagascar have swiftly snowballed from frustration over water and power cuts, to the President’s dissolution of the government, to deadly open fire against protesters.
Now, the same contingent of soldiers that brought President Rajoelina to power via coup in 2009 has joined the thousands of anti-government demonstrators in the capital, Antananarivo, ‘in an attempt to seize power illegally and by force, contrary to the constitution and to democratic principles.’
In a situation that is highly volatile – what’s the safest course of action?
In the first few days of the protests, the airspace was shut down with no flights going in or out. Vehicles were being smashed and hotels set ablaze – namely a large international chain commonly used by business travellers. You find yourself now without shelter, public transport is not available – options are becoming severely limited.
In worst-case scenarios, if international hotels are being targeted with the possible intention of wider media coverage, it’s possible that international travellers can also become targets.
To get help, we, or your corporate security team, need to find out where you are and your proximity to the violence, now and in the near future.
Are you close to a government building that may be targeted next? Do you have embassy representation in the country? Are you in need of medical attention – do you know where the nearest medical facility is?
These questions are not likely to be raised when travelling to a business meeting to close a deal or seek out new supply chains. If the internet is disconnected, common under riot control, there is no chance of reaching your employers for help.
We have people on the ground who can source your location, put a satellite phone in your hands and provide secure transport from A to B.
We assess the situation – decide when and where you should move, locate an open airport, identify the safest route via our GSOC team monitoring live protest updates, and get you there before curfew.
If we are supporting you, this duty of care is already in place, and if there is intelligence of such widespread unrest – any and all travel is advised against.
Situations such as Madagascar highlight a gap in duty of care. People travel to unfamiliar or high-risk regions without proper planning because they believe everything will be fine, perhaps they have travelled before and all was well. But when the situation suddenly changes, flights are limited, information is unclear and the protests vary in intensity – people become uncertain about what to do, when to act and whether to stay or leave.
The longer that decision is delayed, the greater the potential risk becomes. Act now, have prior planning in place, and always ensure duty of care is adhered to with any business travel.