Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has dissolved his government following days of deadly unrest that left at least 22 people dead, according to the United Nations. The protests, led by the youth movement known as Gen Z, were sparked by chronic power cuts, water shortages, and widespread poverty.

The demonstrations, which began on Thursday, saw thousands of people, mostly young, take to the streets to express their frustration with the government’s handling of the crisis. Protesters held signs reading “We want to live, not survive,” and called for Rajoelina’s resignation. The president, however, has given no indication that he will step down.

In a televised national address, Rajoelina announced that he had decided to terminate the functions of the Prime Minister and the government, citing the need for a new government to address the country’s challenges. He gave a three-day time frame to review proposals for a new prime minister and stated that the current Prime Minister, Christian Ntsay, and other ministers would stay on an interim basis until a new government could be formed.

Madagascar, a large island off the east coast of southern Africa, ranks in the bottom ten of the UN’s Human Development Index. Three-quarters of the island’s 30 million people lived below the poverty line in 2022, according to the World Bank. The country’s electricity access is also limited, with just over a third of the population having access to electricity, and daily hours-long outages are common.

The United Nations human rights office has reported that 22 people have been killed in clashes surrounding the protests, including protesters and bystanders killed by security forces, as well as others killed in subsequent violence and looting. More than 100 people have also been injured in the protests. The government has disputed the UN’s death toll, but has not released its own figures on the number of casualties.

The Gen Z movement in Madagascar has adopted a pirate flag from the Japanese anime series “One Piece” as its rallying symbol, which has also been used by youth-led protests in other countries, including Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines, and France. The movement’s use of this symbol reflects the global connections and inspirations of the protests. As the situation in Madagascar continues to unfold, the international community will be watching to see how the government responds to the demands of the protesters and addresses the underlying issues driving the unrest.