ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — An army colonel who seized power in a military coup was sworn in as Madagascar’s new leader Friday in a lightning-fast power grab that ousted the president and sent him fleeing the country and into hiding.
At least 22 people were killed in the protests after an initial crackdown by security forces, the United Nations said.
Ousted president is in hiding Rajoelina’s whereabouts are unknown after he left the country claiming his life was in danger following the rebellion.
In his absence, Rajoelina was impeached in a vote in parliament on Tuesday, right before the colonel announced the military was taking power.
The European Union called for the restoring of “democratic values” in Madagascar through a national dialogue, a spokesperson said.
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — In a lightning-fast power grab that forced the president to leave the country and go into hiding, an army colonel who took over as president of Madagascar was sworn in as the country’s new leader Friday.
Col. At a ceremony in front of the country’s nine red-robed judges in the main chamber of the High Constitutional Court, Michael Randrianirina, the commander of a top army unit, took the oath of office as the new president.
Only three days after declaring that the armed forces were seizing control of the 30 million-person island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, he rose to the presidency.
Make a call for harmony.
Three weeks of anti-government demonstrations led by young people had shook the country; they began with annoyance over ongoing power and water outages but quickly turned into a rage against President Andry Rajoelina’s administration. The UN reported that following an initial crackdown by security forces, at least 22 people were killed during the protests.
When Randrianirina spoke from a podium beside a red, green, and white Madagascan flag, she stated, “Today marks a turning point for our nation, for the Madagascan people themselves are thirsting for profound change in the way our country is governed.”. In addition to calling for harmony and peace, he pledged to “break away from the harmful practices of the past.”. “.”.
The U. N. has denounced the military takeover as an unconstitutional change of government, but other nations—including France, Madagascar’s former colonial ruler—have not responded much. Madagascar was expelled from the African Union as a result of the takeover.
The home of the stripy-tailed primates known as lemurs and the world’s largest supplier of vanilla, Madagascar has a turbulent past marked by political unrest.
Since gaining independence in 1960, the nation has experienced a number of coups and attempted coups, including the one that installed Rajoelina as interim president in 2009. Despite supporting young people’s aspirations, Rajoelina has come under fire for not doing much to better the lives of Madagascans, about 75% of whom, according to the World Bank, live in poverty.
The former president has gone into hiding.
After the rebellion, Rajoelina left the country, saying his life was in danger, but it is unclear where he is now. It is said that he fled on a French military aircraft. Just before the colonel declared the military would take over, Rajoelina was impeached in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday while he was away.
A young Madagascan who participated in the Gen Z-led protests, Emmanuel Rabemanantsoa, stated, “This is the result of the previous president’s failure to listen to the youth.”.
Military officers, civilian officials, and foreign diplomats attended the swearing-in ceremony, where Randrianirina, who is thought to be between 50 and 51 years old, changed out of his military camouflage for a dark suit and blue tie. To commemorate the occasion, military guards of honor on either side of the room brandished ceremonial swords, and a line of soldiers blew trumpets.
Less than a week ago, the colonel, who had been briefly imprisoned for an attempted mutiny two years prior, rose from relative obscurity to lead the rebellion by his CAPSAT military unit. He claimed to have spent the majority of his three-month detention in a military hospital in late 2023 and early 2024.
military rule for up to two years.
The young people who sparked the rebellion may have to wait a long time to elect a leader because Randrianirina has stated that Madagascar will be governed by a military council with him serving as president for 18 months to two years prior to any new elections. Analysts wonder if the military jumped on the youth rebellion to take control.
The demonstrations have been similar to other Gen Z-led uprisings in places like Sri Lanka and Nepal. After initially taking to the streets last month to protest power and water outages, young Madagascans have since brought up other concerns, such as the high cost of living, the dearth of opportunities, and the alleged nepotism and corruption of the elite.
When he and his soldiers joined the anti-government demonstrations last weekend, demanding the resignation of the president and government ministers, Randrianirina took advantage of the momentum. According to the colonel, one CAPSAT soldier was killed in a brief altercation between his troops and Rajoelina-aligned gendarmerie security forces.
However, there hasn’t been any significant violence, and Madagascans have celebrated Randrianirina’s troops’ takeover as they have paraded through the streets of Antananarivo in armored vehicles.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Randrianirina stated that the military takeover was an attempt to “take responsibility as citizens and patriots” in order to save “a dying country.”. “.”.
The coup was denounced.
A move earlier this week by the High Constitutional Court to invite Randrianirina to become the next president was criticized by Rajoelina’s office, which also asserted that some of the court’s judges had been pressured to approve an illegal coup.
On Thursday, U. N. . According to Stéphane Dujarric, his spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres denounced the unconstitutional change of government and demanded “the return to constitutional order and the rule of law.”. The African Union declared that it “totally rejects” the takeover.
Through a national dialogue, the European Union demanded that “democratic values” be restored in Madagascar, according to a spokesperson.
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