An army colonel who led a lightning-fast coup takes over as Madagascar’s president

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — An army colonel who seized power in a military coup was sworn in as Madagascar’s new leader Friday in a lightning-fast power grab that ousted the president and sent him fleeing the country into hiding.

Col. Michael Randrianirina, commander of an elite army unit, took the oath of office to become the new president at a ceremony held in the main chamber of the nation’s High Constitutional Court, in front of its nine red-robed judges.

His ascent to the presidency came just three days after he announced that the armed forces were taking power in Madagascar, the Indian Ocean island nation of around 30 million people off Africa’s east coast. The country had been rocked by three weeks of youth-led anti-government protests.

The United Nations condemned the military takeover as an unconstitutional change of government, but there has been little significant reaction from other countries, including Madagascar’s former colonial ruler, France. Following the coup, Madagascar was suspended from the African Union.

Madagascar faces high rates of poverty, affecting around 75% of the population, according to the World Bank. The former French colony, widely known as the world’s largest vanilla provider and home to the stripey-tailed primates called lemurs, has a tumultuous history of political instability. Since gaining independence in 1960, the country has experienced several coups and attempted coups.

President Andry Rajoelina’s whereabouts remain unknown after he left the country, claiming his life was in danger following the rebellion. Reports indicate he escaped on a French military plane. In his absence, Rajoelina was impeached in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, just before Colonel Randrianirina announced the military was taking control.

Randrianirina, believed to be 50 or 51 years old, swapped his military camouflage for a dark suit and blue tie for the swearing-in ceremony. The event was attended by military officers, civilian officials, and foreign diplomats. Military guards of honor on either side of the room drew ceremonial swords to mark the moment, while a line of soldiers sounded trumpets.

Emerging from relative obscurity less than a week ago to lead the rebellion with his CAPSAT military unit, the colonel was briefly imprisoned two years ago for an attempted mutiny. He spent most of the three months detained in late 2023 and early 2024 at a military hospital.

Rajoelina himself initially came to power as a transitional leader in 2009 after a military-backed coup. Randrianirina has stated that Madagascar will be governed by a military council with him as president for between 18 months and two years before any new elections take place. This timeline means the young people who inspired the uprising against Rajoelina may face a long wait before they can elect a new leader.

The protests, which began last month, mirror other Gen Z-led uprisings seen in countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka. Young Madagascans initially took to the streets to protest regular water and power outages, but their demands soon broadened to include the high cost of living, lack of opportunities, and alleged corruption and nepotism among the elite.

Seizing the momentum last weekend, Randrianirina turned against Rajoelina and joined the anti-government protests that called for the president and government ministers to step down. There was a brief clash between his soldiers and members of the gendarmerie security forces still loyal to Rajoelina, during which one CAPSAT soldier was killed, the colonel said. However, no major violence has erupted on the streets since, and Randrianirina’s troops have been welcomed and their takeover celebrated by many Madagascans.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Randrianirina described the military takeover as a move to “take responsibility as citizens and patriots” to save “a dying country.” He added, “From now on, we will restore the country to its former glory, fight against insecurity, and gradually try to solve the social problems that Malagasy people experience.”

Rajoelina’s office has argued that a recent move by the High Constitutional Court to invite Randrianirina to become the new president was flawed and claimed that some of the court’s judges had been threatened.

On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the unconstitutional change of government and called “for the return to constitutional order and the rule of law,” according to his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.

The African Union also expressed its strong opposition, stating it “totally rejects” the military takeover.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/17/army-colonel-coup-madagascar/

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