The African Union has announced the immediate suspension of Madagascar following a coup in which an elite army unit seized power after President Andry Rajoelina was impeached by the National Assembly.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina, head of the elite CAPSAT unit, declared on Tuesday that the military had taken control of the Indian Ocean nation after lawmakers voted to remove Rajoelina for “abandoning his duties.”
“We have taken power,” Randrianirina said in a statement read at a government building in the capital, Antananarivo. He is expected to be sworn in as transitional president during a “solemn hearing” before the country’s top court on Friday.
The colonel announced plans to form a transitional committee made up of officers from the army, gendarmerie, and national police to oversee the country’s administration.
Confirming the AU’s position, the Union’s Commission Chair, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, said Madagascar had been suspended “with immediate effect” after the court ratified Randrianirina’s leadership, plunging the impoverished nation into another political crisis.
The development makes Madagascar the latest former French colony to fall under military control since 2020, joining Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea.
Military Promises Transition
In a televised address, Randrianirina defended the takeover, describing it not as a coup but as an act of national rescue.
“It wasn’t a coup. It was a case of taking responsibility because the country was on the brink of collapse,” he said.
He pledged a return to civilian rule within 18 to 24 months and announced plans to restructure key national institutions. Consultations are ongoing to appoint a prime minister and form a new government, he added.
International Reactions and Local Support
The United Nations expressed “deep concern” over what it termed an unconstitutional change of power, while the AU reaffirmed its suspension of Madagascar from all its activities.
Despite global condemnation, the situation in the capital remained calm on Wednesday. Thousands gathered for a concert at the historic Place du 13 Mai square — the same site where protesters had clashed with security forces weeks earlier.
The youth-led Gen Z movement, which spearheaded protests over water and energy shortages since late September, welcomed the military intervention. “We’re ready to work with the new leadership for systemic change,” the group posted on Facebook.
A number of citizens expressed relief at Rajoelina’s ouster. “It feels like we’ve just been released from prison,” said Muriella, a businesswoman from Antsiranana.
Rajoelina’s Whereabouts Unclear
Meanwhile, Rajoelina’s office condemned the court’s decision as “illegal and unconstitutional,” accusing it of procedural violations.
The ousted leader, who first came to power through a 2009 coup before being elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2023, reportedly fled with French assistance. In a recent broadcast from an undisclosed location, he claimed to be in a “safe place to protect my life” while seeking “solutions to Madagascar’s challenges.”
