Madagascar's president dissolves government following deadly protests

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina said on Monday he is dissolving the government following protests against water and power cuts.

At least 22 people have been killed in protests in Madagascar that security forces have met with a "violent" response, the office of the UN's human rights chief said on Sunday.

More than 100 have also been wounded in the demonstrations, the United Nations rights office led by High Commissioner Volker Turk said in a statement.

"I am shocked and saddened by the killings and injuries in the protests over water and power cuts in Madagascar," Turk said, urging "the authorities to ensure respect for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly".

Some of the victims were protesters or bystanders killed by the police or the security forces, his office said, following days of protests against frequent power cuts and poor water access that erupted into clashes with the authorities.

Others were killed in the widespread violence sparked by criminal gangs and looters in the wake of the demonstrations, the office said, insisting that the pillagers were separate from the protesters.

Turk condemned the heavy-handed policing, including the use of live ammunition, calling on the security forces "to desist from the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force and to immediately release all arbitrarily detained protesters."

The Indian Ocean island nation, among the world's poorest, has experienced frequent uprisings since gaining independence in 1960, including mass protests in 2009 that forced then-president Marc Ravalomanana from power.

___

Source: TRT