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Armed forces have declared intention to take control of the state TV headquarters in Madagascar as Head of state Andry Rajoelina was due to address the nation, his staff says, amid unofficial information that he has departed from the country.

A foreign military aircraft is believed to have evacuated Rajoelina from the African island to an undisclosed location, following a two weeks of countrywide rallies aimed at kicking him out of power.

His ineffective efforts to calm young activists - dubbed "Gen Z Mada" - saw him dismiss his complete government and make additional agreements to no avail.

On Sunday, his staff said an attempt was under way to pressure him from power. He has not been observed in visible since Wednesday.

Rajoelina's arranged address to the nation has been postponed several times - it was originally planned at 1900 local time (1600 GMT).

Over the weekend, a significant army unit - called CAPSAT - that helped install Rajoelina in power in 2009 proceeded to challenge him by declaring itself in charge of all the armed forces, while numerous of its personnel aligned with activists on the avenues of the main city, Antananarivo.

After a meeting of army officers on Monday, the current Armed Forces Leader designated by CAPSAT, Gen Demosthene Pikulas, guaranteed the people that the armed services were cooperating to maintain order in the state.

By Monday late afternoon, the general was at national TV building attempting to address the emergency, according to a communication from the administration.

Communicating on basis of confidentiality, a high-ranking leader in Madagascar's largest opposition party revealed that Madagascar was now essentially being managed by CAPSAT.

The TIM party has also stated it aims to bring dismissal procedures against Rajoelina for "desertion of post".

Multiple of Rajoelina's top advisors have escaped to close Mauritius. They consist of previous Prime Minister Richard Ravalomanana and the businessman Maminiaina Ravatomanga.

Despite its abundant natural resources, Madagascar is counted as the poorest countries in the world. About 75% of citizens there exist below the economic hardship level, while data shows about one-third of people have availability to electricity.

The rallies began over anger with repeated water and power interruptions, then increased to demonstrate more extensive dissatisfaction with Rajoelina's regime over elevated unemployment, corruption, and the cost-of-living crisis.

At least 22 people were killed and in excess of 100 wounded in the initial days of the protests, although the administration has disputed these statistics.

Observers detail security officers shooting on protesters with lethal rounds. In one case, a infant died from respiratory issues after being exposed to tear gas.

Madagascar has been rocked by multiple rebellions since it gained independence in 1960, including large-scale protests in 2009 that compelled then-President Marc Ravalomanana to step down and saw Rajoelina placed into office.

At the age of just 34 at the moment, Rajoelina became Africa's least experienced leader - proceeding to rule for four years, then resuming to power once more after the 2018 election.

Rajoelina was coming from wealth and, prior to joining politics, had established himself for himself as an business owner and DJ - setting up a radio station and an advertising company in the process.

But his sharp-suited, youthful attraction rapidly diminished, as accusations of cronyism and deep-rooted corruption became ongoing.

Additional information about Madagascar's emergency:

• Regarding the Gen Z demonstrators who want to force Madagascar's leader from power
• Military general named as Madagascar PM to suppress Gen Z demonstrations