Madagascar military seizes power as President Rajoelina is impeached and flees the country

Antananarivo, Madagascar — Madagascar’s political crisis has reached a dramatic climax as an elite military unit announced it had seized power following the impeachment of President Andry Rajoelina.

Since early Monday morning, residents of the capital, Antananarivo, have poured into the streets in jubilation, waving flags, cheering, and honking car horns as armoured Humvees and pick-up trucks belonging to the elite CAPSAT military unit rolled through the city.

Crowds lined the pavements as soldiers, led by Colonel Mickael Randrianirina, drove in what observers described as a “victory lap” through the capital. AFP reports that many carried placards calling for both “Rajoelina and Macron out,” amid unconfirmed claims that the French military had airlifted the president out of Madagascar on Sunday.

Rajoelina Impeached, Military Takes Charge

The dramatic takeover followed a vote in Madagascar’s National Assembly, where 130 lawmakers voted to impeach President Rajoelina, with only one abstention. Lawmakers accused him of “desertion of duty” after he allegedly fled the country amid escalating protests.

Rajoelina, in turn, declared the parliamentary session unconstitutional, saying he had dissolved the legislature earlier in the day. In a statement on Facebook, he warned that the impeachment vote would be “null and void.”

However, the High Constitutional Court later confirmed both the impeachment and the leadership of Col. Randrianirina, while declaring vacancies in the offices of the president and the president of the senate.

The court’s move came even after the military announced it was suspending the court’s activities, alongside those of the senate and the electoral commission — sparing only the lower house of parliament.

A Familiar Power Broker Turns

CAPSAT — the elite army unit now claiming power — was instrumental in bringing Rajoelina to power in 2009, when it backed his own coup against then-president Marc Ravalomanana. Sixteen years later, it has turned on him amid mounting discontent over chronic power cuts, water shortages, and rising living costs.

In recent weeks, youth-led protests under the banner of Gen Z Mada had shaken the island nation, demanding Rajoelina’s resignation. On Saturday, CAPSAT soldiers abandoned their barracks to join demonstrators, signalling the president’s waning grip on power.

‘We Had No Choice But To Act’

Speaking to reporters after declaring the takeover on national radio, Col. Randrianirina said:

“There is no president, there is no government… nothing here works. We had no choice but to act.”

He announced that CAPSAT would form a transitional committee including officers from the army, gendarmerie, and national police — and possibly senior civilian advisers — to perform presidential duties. A civilian government, he said, would be formed “after a few days.”

Asked about the timeline for elections, the colonel replied:

“Of course. Elections will take place within the next 18 months to two years.”

He also promised that the demands of the Gen Z Mada protest movement would be respected, noting that “the movement was created in the streets, so we have to respect their demands.”

Uncertain Days Ahead

President Rajoelina’s whereabouts remain unknown. Some reports suggest he was flown out by French forces to Dubai, while others claim he is sheltering in a “safe place” after what he described as an attempted assassination.

Meanwhile, France’s President Emmanuel Macron has called the situation in Madagascar “greatly worrying” but declined to comment on his country’s alleged involvement in the evacuation.

As night falls in Antananarivo, the mood remains largely celebratory. Many citizens say they believe a new era is beginning after years of hardship and political tension — though the coming days are likely to reveal how the power shift will reshape the island nation’s fragile democracy.