Madagascar's Wave of Disappearances Exposes 'Deeper Institutional Failings'

View of Lake Anosy in the center of Antananarivo (file photo).

20 July 2026

Radio France Internationale

By RFI

A recent surge in disappearances and violent killings on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar has fueled fears across the country and prompted the government to deploy hundreds of security personnel. Anti-corruption campaigner Ketakandriana Rafitoson, of Transparency International Initiative Madagascar, told RFI the violence reflects a broader "crisis of confidence" in the country's institutions.

So far this year, Malagasy police have recorded 172 reports of disappearances, including of 91 children, with numbers rising sharply since late June. Eight bodies have been recovered.

Most reports come from the capital Antananarivo, where the military government has mobilised more than 1,500 police officers, soldiers and gendarmes to patrol day and night.

Despite this, anxious residents are avoiding going out alone.

Madagascar is undergoing a difficult political transition, after the military took power in October 2025 and removed president Andry Rajoelina. The current government dissolved the cabinet in March and is facing pressure to restore civilian rule.

Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison recently claimed the crimes were intended to undermine the transitional regime.

RFI: Madagascar has seen an unprecedented wave of disappearances and violent killings, including of children. What's happening in the country?

Ketakandriana Rafitoson: We are witnessing a deeply worrying rise in [these crimes]. There is a real sense of fear, especially in Antananarivo. But it would be reductive to see these events simply as a series of isolated crimes. They reveal, in my view, a profound crisis of confidence between citizens and the institutions responsible for protecting them.

When people feel investigations are not moving quickly enough, that those responsible are not being identified, or that criminals are becoming increasingly brazen, the fear extends well beyond each individual case.

RFI: Do we know who is behind these attacks?

KR: It would be irresponsible to accuse anyone without evidence. That is precisely the job of investigators and the courts. Although some arrests have been made, public opinion is not convinced that those truly responsible - or those who ordered these crimes - have been caught.

What we can say is that organised crime usually relies on networks of accomplices and logistical support. It is the authorities' responsibility to identify and dismantle those networks.

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RFI: In Antananarivo, there is speculation about high-level complicity in the kidnappings and the trafficking of natural resources. Could a lack of institutional transparency be preventing such networks from being dismantled?

KR: Transparency is essential if the state is to function effectively. When institutions operate opaquely, when accountability is weak and oversight mechanisms are undermined, it becomes much harder to combat organised crime and corruption.

This is linked to what we call state capture. State capture occurs when a small group of elites use public institutions, state finances and the administration for private gain rather than for the public good. Public resources are diverted for predatory purposes instead of serving citizens. That weakens institutions and ultimately makes people less safe.

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RFI: Last week, the prime minister said Madagascar was "at war" and vowed there would be no leniency for those responsible. Was that the right message?

KR: I understand why the authorities want to send a strong signal. Citizens expect the state to respond decisively to crimes of this seriousness.

The prime minister's words were appropriate because words carry weight. But what matters is not simply declaring war - it's winning the battle against insecurity in a lasting way.

RFI: What do you expect from the authorities now?

KR: In the short term, every effort must be made to identify those responsible, protect the public, support victims' families and communicate transparently.

Over the longer term, this should be an opportunity to rebuild stronger, more transparent and more independent institutions that genuinely serve the common good. Madagascar also needs to restore ethical standards in public life, rebalance power, strengthen democracy from the grassroots and invest in human capital.

There have been encouraging statements of intent, but now we need to see concrete action from the authorities.

This interview was adapted from the original version in French.

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