Madagascar Military Seizes Power After President Rajoelina Impeached

Madagascar Military Seizes Power After President Rajoelina Impeached
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Madagascar’s military announced on Tuesday that it had taken control of the country after President Andry Rajoelina was impeached by parliament and fled following weeks of youth-led protests, Reuters reported. The announcement came from Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who declared on national radio that the armed forces had assumed power and suspended key state institutions except for the National Assembly.

Randrianirina said a military-led committee would govern alongside a transitional administration for up to two years before organizing new elections. According to a statement issued by military leaders, the Senate, High Constitutional Court, Electoral Commission, and several judicial and human rights bodies were dissolved. The move followed a failed attempt by Rajoelina earlier in the day to dissolve parliament by decree, an act rejected by lawmakers who voted overwhelmingly to impeach him.

The 51-year-old president, who first rose to power in a 2009 coup, reportedly fled Madagascar aboard a French military aircraft on Sunday amid security threats. Even members of his ruling coalition joined the impeachment vote, citing misconduct and constitutional violations. Rajoelina denounced the takeover as illegitimate, warning in earlier statements of an ongoing coup attempt in the Indian Ocean nation.

The military intervention followed weeks of demonstrations that began on September 25 over power and water shortages but evolved into wider protests against corruption and poor governance. Thousands of mostly young protesters gathered in the capital Antananarivo, waving national flags and anime-inspired protest banners while celebrating the president’s removal.

With much of the security apparatus defecting, including elite army and police units, Madagascar now faces an uncertain transition. The country of 30 million, where three-quarters live in poverty, has long struggled with political instability and economic decline, with GDP per capita falling sharply over the past decades, according to the World Bank.