Madagascar’s military declared control of the Island country on Tuesday after President Andry Rajoelina fled the country during a standoff with protesters and mutinous soldiers.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who led the mutiny, announced on national radio that the armed forces had “taken power” and dissolved all state institutions except the National Assembly. His statement came minutes after lawmakers voted to impeach Rajoelina, whose attempts to dissolve parliament by decree earlier in the day triggered a constitutional showdown.
Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday aboard a French military aircraft after losing control of the security forces. He later said he had relocated to a “safe place” due to threats to his life but insisted he remained the legitimate president.
The presidency described the parliamentary session that voted for his removal as “unconstitutional” and declared any resolution “null and void.”
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Meanwhile, Randrianirina, a senior commander in the elite CAPSAT unit, which once helped Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup, joined protesters at Antananarivo’s 13 May Square and asked the crowd whether they supported a military takeover. His question was met with loud cheers from thousands of demonstrators waving Malagasy flags and banners.
The unrest began on September 25 as demonstrations over power and water shortages before expanding into a broader movement against corruption, poor governance, and inequality. Many of the protesters, largely from the Gen Z generation, accused Rajoelina of favouring foreign interests due to his French dual citizenship and close ties with Paris.
At the height of the rallies, demonstrators filled Antananarivo’s central square — a symbolic site of previous uprisings — chanting for Rajoelina’s resignation. Members of the police, paramilitary gendarmerie, and army units later joined the movement, refusing to disperse the crowds or use force.
Earlier on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Madagascar’s factions to “preserve constitutional order,” saying while Paris recognised the grievances of the youth, “they must not be exploited by military forces.”
Madagascar, a nation of 30 million people where three-quarters of the population live in poverty, has faced repeated cycles of political instability since gaining independence from France in 1960. According to the World Bank, its GDP per capita has fallen by about 45% since independence, reflecting decades of weak governance and recurring crises.
The latest takeover could deepen the country’s economic woes, isolate it diplomatically, and lead to worse demonstrations, if the military fails to announce a clear transition plan.
As of Tuesday evening, there was no official response from Rajoelina, while crowds in the capital continued to celebrate what they described as the end of his rule.
