ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (BN24) — The African Union on Wednesday moved swiftly to suspend Madagascar’s membership following a dramatic military takeover that culminated in the removal of President Andry Rajoelina. The bloc, in an emergency session of its Peace and Security Council, said the island nation would be barred from AU bodies “with immediate effect … until constitutional order is restored.”
At the heart of the upheaval is Colonel Michael Randrianirina, commander of the elite CAPSAT military unit. In a statement broadcast via state television, the new military leadership announced that Randrianirina would assume the presidency during a solemn session of Madagascar’s High Constitutional Court on October 17. He is to take office as “President of the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar.”
The takeover, which the AU described as an “unconstitutional change of government,” was met with condemnation from the union’s leadership. AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf warned that the rule of law must prevail over the rule of force and reiterated the bloc’s insistence on a return to civilian governance.
Rajoelina, who secured power himself in 2009 via a military-backed transition and later won multiple elections, fled the capital amid mounting street protests and defections within the security forces. From an undisclosed location, he denounced his removal as illegitimate, calling the turn of events “null and void.”
The coup came after weeks of youth-led demonstrations, dubbed the “Gen Z protests,” in the capital of Antananarivo. Frustration had boiled over as young people confronted long-standing problems: electricity and water blackouts, rising cost of living, limited access to higher education, and systemic corruption. According to the World Bank, roughly 75 percent of Madagascar’s 30 million inhabitants live in poverty, conditions that fueled the unrest.
The crisis reached its tipping point when CAPSAT troops, long seen as loyal to the presidency, withdrew from orders to suppress protestors and instead marched into the streets, aligning themselves with the demonstrators. Parliament responded by impeaching Rajoelina, and on October 14, the military moved decisively, declaring that it had suspended the constitution and dissolved all state institutions except the lower house of parliament.
In a press briefing, Randrianirina defended the intervention as an act of necessity: “We took responsibility yesterday,” he said. He pledged a transitional period lasting between 18 months and two years, during which a referendum would be held to draft a new constitution, followed by elections. The military said it would establish committees drawn from the army, gendarmerie, and national police to manage the transition.
The AU was not alone in sounding alarms. Neighboring states and regional bodies, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC), called for de-escalation and negotiations. The United Nations expressed deep concern over Madagascar’s sudden constitutional rupture.
Some analysts see parallels to Madagascar’s political past: the CAPSAT unit had played a central role in the 2009 coup that first brought Rajoelina to power. Randrianirina himself had previously broken with the president over orders to suppress protestors, stepping into the national spotlight at a moment of crisis.
For the public, the coup elicited mixed reactions. Street supporters cheered CAPSAT troops entering the city, while protest leaders cautioned against ignoring democratic safeguards. As Madagascar stands suspended from the African Union and faces an uncertain path ahead, the question remains: will the transition restore constitutional rule or entrench military control?
