Madagascar’s coup leader sworn in as president after Andry Rajoelina was impeached amid

Johannesburg — Large crowds gathered Friday in Madagascar’s capital to watch the leader of the African island nation’s recent military coup take the oath of office as its new president.

Col. Michael Randrianirina’s power was consolidated after weeks of protests led by “Generation Z” youth culminated in a few dramatic days of unrest, capped by the impeachment of former President Andry Rajoelina by the country’s highest court on Tuesday for dereliction of duty.

After weeks of demonstrations over lack of jobs, water and regular power outages, representatives of the youth-led protest movement appeared on Friday alongside politicians and foreign delegations, including representatives of the United States, to witness the swearing-in ceremony of the 51-year-old coup leader.

Randriairina said Friday that Madagascar had been propelled to a historic turning point, “with a people in full fervor, driven by a desire for change and a deep love for their homeland,” and said her leadership would “joyfully open a new chapter in the life of our nation.”

At least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured amid mass unrest in recent weeks, according to United Nations figures. When violence broke out last weekend, Randriairina appeared in a video, calling on soldiers to side with the student protest leaders.

Hours after the video was posted online, soldiers were seen clashing with police in the capital. There was no sign or word from then-President Rajoelina during the chaos, causing rumors to circulate that he had fled the country.

“In Madagascar nothing works, there is no president, no president of the Senate, no president of the Government,” declared Randriairina, appearing on the street. “Nothing works, so we have to take responsibility, that’s all.”

French media reported that forces from the country, which was Madagascar’s colonial ruler until the late 1950s, had evacuated Rajoelina to Reunion Island, and that he then flew to Dubai.

In a statement cited by the French news agency News, Rajoelina stated that he left the country between October 11 and 12, after “explicit and very serious threats” against his life.

On October 14, the former president was impeached by the National Assembly, a move later approved by Madagascar’s highest court, and the military took power.

Both the United Nations and the African Union have condemned the military’s takeover, with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying Thursday that “the unconstitutional change of government in Madagascar” should be reversed through a “return to constitutional order and the rule of law,” according to his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.

The African Union suspended Madagascar’s membership and called for immediate elections and a return to civilian government.

Randrianirina had become an outspoken critic of Rajoelina in recent years, and in November 2023 he was arrested and imprisoned for three months for instigating a riot.

Amid international criticism, Randrianirina this week denied having initiated a coup, pointing to the Constitutional Court’s support for her new role. Speaking to reporters on several occasions this week, he was careful to repeatedly deny that it was even a coup, saying at one point: “I don’t think there was a coup. The army is just showing the Malagasy people that we still exist.”

At the swearing-in ceremony, Randrianirina changed from his military attire into a suit and tie and said he would appoint a civilian prime minister and hold elections within two years.

However, he suspended most of the country’s civilian institutions and announced a new military council made up of army and police officers to run the nation, which is home to some 32 million people.

This is the third transition of military power Madagascar has seen since gaining independence from France, with previous coups putting commanders in power in 1972 and 2009.

World Bank figures show that up to 80% of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, making it one of the poorest nations in the world.

It is also the latest of several former French African colonies to fall under military control in just half a decade, following coups in Mali, Gabon, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

In:

• Madagascar
• Africa
• coup d’état
• France