Madagascar’s new military leader denies coup allegations
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Colonel Michael Randrianirina, the head of Madagascar’s CAPSAT military unit, has rejected claims that the country’s recent power shift amounted to a coup, even as international bodies voice concern over the ousting of President Andry Rajoelina.
Speaking to reporters ahead of his swearing-in, Randrianirina argued that the military takeover did not involve violence or bloodshed and therefore could not be called a coup. His forces assumed control shortly after parliament impeached Rajoelina on Tuesday. The country’s top court was expected to confirm Randrianirina as “President of the Refounding of the Republic of Madagascar.”
The 51-year-old officer said he planned to hold elections within 18 to 24 months and was in talks to appoint a prime minister. He also promised to include members of the youth-led Gen Z movement, which had protested against power and water shortages, in his new administration.
Randrianirina clarified that he no longer intended to dissolve most state institutions, softening his earlier stance from the day of the takeover.
Rajoelina, who came to power after a 2009 military-backed coup and later won elections in 2018 and 2023, fled the country citing threats to his life. His office accused the constitutional court of procedural violations in confirming Randrianirina’s appointment, warning that it could further destabilise the nation.
Reports said he left Madagascar aboard a French military plane to Réunion before travelling to Dubai.
The UN Secretary-General condemned the development as an “unconstitutional change of government” and urged a swift return to constitutional order. The African Union suspended Madagascar and sent a delegation to mediate, while the Southern African Development Community dispatched a fact-finding team.
Despite international pressure, Randrianirina maintained that the transition followed legal processes and was validated by the top court. In the capital, Antananarivo, crowds gathered to celebrate the change after weeks of protests.
Madagascar, where nearly 80 percent of the 32 million citizens live in poverty, now joins several other former French colonies in Africa that have experienced military takeovers since 2020, including Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Gabon, and Guinea.