ANTANANARIVO — Madagascar’s military has seized power after days of mounting unrest, an army colonel announced Tuesday, as President Andry Rajoelina fled abroad amid a standoff between youth-led protesters and security forces, according to “Reuters”.
“We have taken power,” declared Colonel Michael Randrianirina, speaking on national radio after leading a mutiny of soldiers who joined the swelling “Gen Z” demonstrations demanding Rajoelina’s resignation. He said the army was dissolving all state institutions except the National Assembly, which had just voted to impeach the president.
The 51-year-old leader reportedly left the country on a French military jet, claiming threats to his life. Government officials have refused to confirm his whereabouts but denounced the parliamentary vote as “unconstitutional and null.”
Rajoelina’s departure followed weeks of demonstrations that began in late September over crippling water and power shortages and quickly grew into a nationwide revolt against corruption, poverty, and political stagnation. On Tuesday, thousands filled Antananarivo’s 13 May Square, waving Malagasy flags and banners accusing Rajoelina of being a “French puppet” because of his dual citizenship and Paris ties. Many protesters carried skull-and-crossbones flags inspired by the Japanese anime One Piece — now a symbol of the Gen Z protest wave.
At the height of the demonstrations, Randrianirina took the stage and shouted, “Are you ready to accept a military takeover?” The crowd roared in approval.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron urged restraint, saying constitutional order “must be preserved” even as he acknowledged the “legitimate frustrations” of Madagascar’s youth.
Rajoelina’s position had become untenable after the elite CAPSAT unit, which helped him seize power in a 2009 coup, defected to the protesters. The police and gendarmerie soon followed suit, refusing to suppress the crowds.
With three-quarters of its 30 million citizens living in poverty, Madagascar now faces another uncertain chapter, its fragile democracy again overshadowed by the familiar shadow of military rule.
