Madagascar rebellion colonel says he is "taking position of president"

Colonel Michael Randrianirina, leader of Madagascar’s military rebellion, announced that he is “taking the position of president,” saying the armed forces will govern the Indian Ocean island nation for between 18 months and two years before new elections are held.

Randrianirina, commander of the elite CAPSAT military unit, led a mutiny that ousted President Andry Rajoelina, who fled the country for his safety.

Speaking to The Associated Press, he said he expects to be sworn in as Madagascar’s new leader in the coming days.

“There must be an oath-taking to make his position official,” Randrianirina said, flanked by other military officers. “We are staying here for at least 18 months, at most two years.”

The military takeover follows weeks of youth-led protests, organised mainly by groups calling themselves “Gen Z Madagascar,” demanding better governance and more opportunities in a country long beset by poverty. The unrest reached a turning point on Saturday, when Randrianirina and his soldiers joined demonstrations calling for Rajoelina to step down.

Randrianirina said his authority to take over as head of state came at the invitation of the country’s High Constitutional Court. “We had to take responsibility yesterday because there is nothing left in the country, no president, no president in the senate, no government,” he said.

Rajoelina, first elected president in 2018 and re-elected in 2023, last month dismissed his government in an attempt to appease protesters. He has rejected the military takeover as an illegal coup.

“What is he (Rajoelina) saying is illegal?” Randrianirina said. “We have an order from the High Constitutional Court. We did not force the HCC or point a gun at it to issue this.”

The colonel also indicated that the military leadership is “accelerating” the appointment of a new prime minister but did not provide a specific timeline.

Madagascar has experienced multiple coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1960, and the nation continues to struggle with widespread poverty. A previous military-led coup in 2009 brought Rajoelina to power as a transitional leader.

Analysts have criticised the military’s intervention, stressing that the protests were a civil society uprising over essential services such as water and electricity. “Gen-Zers in Madagascar have been on the streets of the country protesting the lack of essential services, especially water and electricity, and the negative impact on their lives for almost a month,” said Olufemi Taiwo, professor of Africana studies at Cornell University. “This is a civil society uprising and its resolution should not involve the military.”

He urged the African Union to condemn the takeover, describing it as “another coup” that Africa “does not need,” and warned against recognising the new military leadership.

By Aghakazim Guliyev