Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina on Tuesday dissolved the lower house of parliament, escalating a deepening political crisis after a military rebellion forced him to flee and go into hiding.

A decree announcing the immediate dissolution of the National Assembly was posted on the presidency’s Facebook page.

Rajoelina’s location remains unknown after an elite military unit joined youth-led anti-government protests over the weekend, demanding his resignation in what appeared to be a coup attempt. In a social media address Monday night, he said he had left the country for a “safe place” due to threats to his life but gave no details.

The president’s decision came as lawmakers were discussing impeachment proceedings to remove him from office — a process effectively halted by the dissolution of the assembly.

Madagascar, which has a long history of coups, now faces its worst political turmoil since 2009, when Rajoelina himself first seized power through a military-backed transition.

Recent protests, driven by Gen Z activists, have denounced poverty, corruption, and chronic power and water shortages. The unrest intensified when members of the elite CAPSAT unit defected to the protesters and declared control over the armed forces.

Rajoelina has condemned the move as “an illegal attempt to seize power” but called for dialogue and constitutional order to be maintained.