The African Union (AU) announced on Wednesday that Madagascar has been suspended “with immediate effect” following a military takeover that ousted President Andry Rajoelina after his impeachment.
The decision came hours after the country’s top court confirmed Colonel Michael Randrianirina as interim president, deepening the political turmoil in the Indian Ocean nation.
“The country is suspended with immediate effect,” AU Commission chair Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told AFP, emphasizing that the move was in response to an “unconstitutional change of government.”
The suspension follows Tuesday’s dramatic events in which the elite CAPSAT military unit seized control of the government shortly after parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina. The 51-year-old leader, who first rose to power in a 2009 military-backed coup, reportedly fled the country as demonstrations escalated.
Colonel Randrianirina, who now heads what is being called the Presidential Council for the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar, has pledged to return the country to civilian rule within two years. “It wasn’t a coup, it was a case of taking responsibility because the country was on the brink of collapse,” he said on national television, promising elections in 18 to 24 months and consultations to form a new government.
The United Nations also condemned the developments, expressing that it was “deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change of power.” The international community has been on alert as Madagascar joins the list of African nations—including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea—that have experienced military takeovers since 2020.
The capital, Antananarivo, remained relatively calm on Wednesday, though the atmosphere was tense. Crowds gathered for a concert at the Place du 13 Mai, the symbolic square where protesters had recently clashed with security forces. The youth-led Gen Z movement, which spearheaded the September 25 protests over water and electricity shortages, welcomed Randrianirina’s intervention.
“The colonel said he is ready to talk to the youth and we are ready to answer the call,” the group wrote on Facebook, calling for “systemic change.”
Many citizens expressed cautious optimism. “We’re worried about what comes next, but we’re savouring this first victory that gave us hope,” said Fenitra Razafindramanga, captain of Madagascar’s national rugby team. In the northern city of Antsiranana, a local entrepreneur named Muriella said, “It feels like we’ve just been released from prison. This is also a message to his successor: learn from this and don’t make the same mistakes.”
Rajoelina’s office, however, has rejected the court’s ruling, calling it “illegal, irregular, and unconstitutional.” The former president, whose whereabouts remain unknown, said in a pre-recorded address on Monday that he was in a “safe place to protect my life,” reportedly with assistance from France.
Randrianirina, a longtime critic of Rajoelina, was previously imprisoned in 2023 for allegedly plotting a coup. His assumption of power now marks the most significant political shift in Madagascar in over a decade, raising both hope and anxiety over the country’s future direction.
What You Should Know
Madagascar’s suspension by the African Union underscores the continental body’s zero-tolerance stance on unconstitutional government changes.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina’s takeover, which he insists is a move to “restore stability,” follows a wave of coups across Africa. As international condemnation grows, Madagascar’s political and economic stability hangs in the balance, with the world watching how the military transition unfolds in the months ahead.
