Madagascar Set to Swear In Army Colonel as President After Power Shift Forces Rajoelina’s Exit

Madagascar was poised on Friday to swear in an army colonel, Michael Randrianirina, as its new president—just days after a dramatic military takeover that forced President Andry Rajoelina to flee the country and sparked global concern over another coup in the island nation.

The country’s highest court was expected to formalise Randrianirina’s appointment at a ceremony scheduled for 10:00 a.m. (0700 GMT), concluding a tense week that saw Rajoelina impeached by lawmakers for “dereliction of duty” and replaced by the military.

Despite international criticism from bodies such as the United Nations, Randrianirina denied orchestrating a coup, insisting that his assumption of office had the backing of the constitutional court.

Large crowds gathered at the court on Friday morning for the swearing-in ceremony, including representatives of the youth-led protest movement that helped topple Rajoelina, alongside politicians and foreign diplomats from the United States, European Union, and France.

Randrianirina, 51, who commands the elite CAPSAT military unit, has promised to organise elections within 18 to 24 months. He also announced that discussions were ongoing to appoint a consensus-based civilian prime minister. “Madagascar has not chosen a military regime,” he said on Thursday. “The government will remain civilian-led, with both military and civilian representation in the presidential council.”

However, Rajoelina’s allies have denounced the court’s endorsement of the colonel’s leadership, describing it as unconstitutional and a potential threat to national stability. They maintained that Rajoelina remains the legitimate president and is committed to resolving the country’s challenges, including persistent power outages that had fuelled youth protests since late September.

Security forces had been accused of violently suppressing the demonstrations, which left several people dead or injured, until CAPSAT publicly refused orders to open fire on protesters on October 11—a move that turned the tide of the uprising.

Rajoelina fled Madagascar shortly after the standoff, reportedly leaving aboard a French military aircraft that flew him to Réunion Island before he travelled on to Dubai.

Madagascar now joins a growing list of former French colonies that have witnessed military takeovers since 2020, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea. It marks the third military transition in the island nation since independence in 1960, following coups in 1972 and 2009.

Despite its wealth of natural resources and biodiversity, Madagascar remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with about 80 percent of its 32 million citizens living in poverty, according to the World Bank.

Both the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have announced plans to send fact-finding missions to assess the situation and advocate for a swift return to constitutional rule.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, speaking on Thursday during a visit to Nigeria, called for civilian participation in the transition process. “The mobilisation of Madagascar’s youth must be fully heard to build a sustainable, peaceful, and inclusive solution,” he said.