Colonel who led coup sworn in as Madagascar’s new president
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ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar -- 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.
Col. Michael Randrianirina, the commander of an elite army unit, took the oath of office to become the new president at a ceremony in the main chamber of the nation's High Constitutional Court, in front of its nine red-robed judges.
His ascent to the presidency came just three days after he announced that the armed forces were taking power in the Indian Ocean island of about 30 million people off Africa's east coast.
The nation had been rocked by three weeks of youth-led anti-government protests that started with frustration over chronic water and electricity outages but snowballed into anger with the leadership of President Andry Rajoelina. At least 22 people were killed in the protests after an initial crackdown by security forces, the United Nations said.
"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," Randrianirina said in a speech from a podium next to a red, green and white Madagascan flag. He called for peace and unity and promised to "break away from the harmful practices of the past."
The U.N. has condemned the military takeover as an unconstitutional change of government but there has been little significant reaction from other countries, including Madagascar's former colonial ruler, France. The takeover led to Madagascar being suspended from the African Union.
Madagascar is widely known as the world's largest vanilla provider and the home of the stripy-tailed primates called lemurs, but it also has a tumultuous history of political instability.
The country has seen several coups and attempted coups since gaining independence in 1960, including the one that first brought Rajoelina to power as a transitional president in 2009. Despite championing the hopes of the youth, Rajoelina has been criticized for doing little to improve the lives of Madagascans, with about 75% of the population living in poverty, according to the World Bank.
Rajoelina's whereabouts are unknown after he left the country claiming his life was in danger following the rebellion. He reportedly escaped on a French military plane. In his absence, Rajoelina was impeached in a vote in parliament on Tuesday, right before the colonel announced the military was taking power.
"The previous president failed to listen to the youth -- and this is the result," said Emmanuel Rabemanantsoa,
a young Madagascan
who had taken part in the Gen Z-led protests.
Randrianirina, who is believed to be 50 or 51 years old, swapped his military camouflage for a dark suit and blue tie for the swearing-in ceremony, which was attended by military officers, civilian officials and foreign diplomats. Military guards of honor on either side of the room drew ceremonial swords to mark the moment, and a line of soldiers blew trumpets.
The colonel, who emerged from relative obscurity to lead the rebellion by his CAPSAT military unit less than a week ago, was briefly imprisoned two years ago for an attempted mutiny. He said he spent most of the three months he was detained in late 2023 and early 2024 at a military hospital.