The African Union (AU) has suspended Madagascar after a military coup ousted President Andry Rajoelina. The AU said the suspension would remain “until constitutional order is restored.”
Colonel Michael Randrianirina, head of an elite army unit, declared himself interim president and said the military would rule for up to two years before holding elections. “We are staying for at least 18 months, at most two years,” he told the Associated Press.
The coup followed weeks of youth-led protests under the “Gen Z Madagascar” movement, demanding better governance and access to basic services. Randrianirina claimed he took power at the request of the High Constitutional Court after Rajoelina fled “for safety reasons.”
He announced the appointment of a prime minister and the dissolution of most institutions, except the lower house of parliament, to form a transitional government.
Rajoelina, who has been in power since 2018, condemned the takeover as an “illegal coup.” Randrianirina, once his ally, had been arrested in 2023 for inciting mutiny and released with a suspended sentence the following year.
Crowds in Antananarivo reacted with both celebration and fear of instability. Analysts criticised the move, calling it a civil movement hijacked by the army.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron denied aiding Rajoelina’s escape but expressed “deep concern” and reaffirmed France’s support for Madagascar’s people.
The island nation has s¥ffered repeated coups since 1960, struggling with p+verty and corr¥ption its GDP per capita has halved, and its corr¥ption ranking has fallen to 140th globally.
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