Madagascar is set to swear in Colonel Michael Randrianirina as president on Friday, days after President Andry Rajoelina fled the country following a military-backed takeover that has drawn widespread international concern.
The country’s constitutional court is expected to formalise Randrianirina’s appointment in a ceremony scheduled for 10:00 am (0700 GMT). This follows Rajoelina’s impeachment for “desertion of duty” on Tuesday and the army’s subsequent intervention.
Despite mounting criticism, including from the United Nations, Randrianirina insisted the move was constitutional.
“Madagascar has not chosen a military regime. The government belongs to civilians. The presidential council is also composed of military and civilians,” he told reporters on Thursday.
The 51-year-old CAPSAT commander has pledged to hold elections within 18 to 24 months and said consultations are ongoing to appoint a consensus prime minister.
Large crowds gathered outside the court on Friday, with youth activists, who spearheaded protests that led to Rajoelina’s fall, joining politicians and foreign delegations. Representatives from the United States, the European Union and France were among those present.
The protests began on September 25 over worsening power cuts, spiralling into a mass movement that security forces tried to suppress. Dozens were reportedly killed or injured before CAPSAT announced on October 11 that it would no longer follow orders to shoot demonstrators.
That decision marked a turning point, as protesters hailed the military unit for siding with the people.
Rajoelina’s office confirmed on Wednesday that he fled Madagascar the same weekend the army withdrew support for the crackdown, saying he feared for his life. He did not disclose his whereabouts, but media reports said he was evacuated aboard a French military plane to Reunion before travelling on to Dubai.
His camp has rejected the constitutional court’s decision to recognise Randrianirina, describing it as riddled with “procedural illegalities” that threaten to destabilise the island nation.
Madagascar Joins The List Of Coup-Hit Nations
The crisis marks the third military transition in Madagascar since independence in 1960, following coups in 1972 and 2009.
The Indian Ocean island, one of the world’s poorest countries despite its rich biodiversity, now joins Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon and Guinea, former French colonies that have fallen under military control since 2020.
According to the World Bank, about 80 per cent of Madagascar’s 32 million people live in poverty.
The African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said they would dispatch fact-finding missions and urged a return to constitutional rule.
French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, also stressed the need for civilian participation.
“The transition is now underway. We call for the full involvement of civilians in the ongoing process. The mobilisation of Madagascar’s youth must be fully heard to build a sustainable, peaceful, and calm solution,” he said in Nigeria on Thursday.
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