Madagascar has declared a French embassy staff member persona non grata, accusing the individual of involvement in alleged destabilisation activities — a move that marks a significant deterioration in relations between the island nation and France, its former colonial power. Madagascan authorities summoned French Ambassador Arnaud Guillois before formally announcing the expulsion, though officials have not publicly detailed the specific nature of the accusations.
The move comes amid a period of deep political uncertainty in Madagascar, a large island country off the southeastern coast of Africa. Interim leader Michael Randrianirina took power after widespread protests forced out former president Andry Rajoelina last October, but the transition has done little to restore stability. Demonstrations have resurfaced in recent weeks in the capital, Antananarivo, with protesters accusing the new administration of moving too slowly on reforms and failing to address entrenched corruption.
The government has sought to frame at least part of the ongoing unrest as externally driven, pointing to what it describes as foreign interference. Authorities are also conducting investigations into an alleged plot to assassinate the interim leader, adding further urgency — and suspicion — to their scrutiny of outside actors. The expulsion of the French diplomat fits within this broader narrative, though no formal evidence has been made public.
Rights organisations have raised concerns about the government's own conduct during this turbulent period. Amnesty International has warned that authorities are using arrests and detentions to create what it describes as a "climate of fear", effectively silencing political dissent rather than addressing its underlying causes.
The episode underscores the fragile state of Franco-Malagasy relations at a moment when a number of African governments have grown increasingly assertive in challenging the influence of former European colonial powers on the continent. How Paris responds to the expulsion is likely to shape the diplomatic temperature between the two countries in the weeks ahead.