Madagascar’s Colonel Michael Randrianirina insisted on Friday that the military takeover that ousted President Andry Rajoelina was “not a coup.” Randrianirina, head of the CAPSAT unit, assumed power after parliament impeached Rajoelina, sparking both international condemnation and domestic celebration.
“A coup is when soldiers enter the presidential palace with weapons and bloodshed. This is not a coup,” he told journalists. In Antananarivo, citizens celebrated the dramatic transfer of power, and the city gradually returned to normal after weeks of barricades.
The country’s highest court is set to officially confirm Randrianirina as “President of the Refounding of the Republic of Madagascar” on Friday. The 51-year-old soldier pledged elections within 18 to 24 months and said consultations are ongoing to appoint a new prime minister.
Rajoelina, who first seized power in a 2009 military-backed coup, fled Madagascar between October 11 and 12 amid threats to his life. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “unconstitutional change of government” and urged Malagasy leaders to restore constitutional order and stability.
The African Union and Southern African bloc SADC deployed delegations to Madagascar, seeking talks to reinstate democratic governance. Randrianirina promised to include members of the youth-led Gen Z protest movement in his administration, focusing on water and power issues.
Parliament elected opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko as its new speaker, signaling tentative political continuity amid the upheaval. Hundreds of citizens flocked to CAPSAT barracks to meet the new leader, offering advice and pledging support for Madagascar’s future.
Madagascar joins a growing list of former French colonies under military control since 2020, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea. The country remains one of the world’s poorest, with 80 percent of its 32 million people living in poverty, highlighting the stakes of political instability.
