African Union Suspends Madagascar After Military Coup Ousted President Rajoelina

The African Union (AU) has suspended Madagascar from its activities following a military takeover that ousted President Andry Rajoelina after his impeachment.

AU Commission chairman, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told AFP on Wednesday that the suspension took effect immediately after Madagascar’s top court confirmed Colonel Michael Randrianirina as the country’s new leader, deepening the nation’s political turmoil.

Colonel Randrianirina, who leads the elite CAPSAT military unit, assumed control after lawmakers voted to impeach Rajoelina on Tuesday.

The colonel has promised to oversee a transition period lasting no more than two years, culminating in democratic elections.

The United Nations condemned the development, describing it as an “unconstitutional change of power.”

The sudden shift in leadership marks Madagascar’s most serious political crisis in years.

The country, one of the poorest in the Indian Ocean region, joins several former French colonies, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea, that have experienced military coups since 2020.

President Rajoelina, who first took power through a military-backed coup in 2009 and was re-elected in a disputed 2023 vote, reportedly fled the country as protests intensified.

A statement signed by Randrianirina and issued by a new governing body called the “Presidential Council for the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar,” said he will be sworn in as transitional president on Friday.

In a televised address, the colonel rejected accusations of a coup, saying the army had acted to prevent national collapse. “It wasn’t a coup; it was an act of responsibility,” he said.

Randrianirina pledged to hold elections within 18 to 24 months and confirmed ongoing discussions to appoint a prime minister and form a transitional government.

Randrianirina has long criticized Rajoelina’s leadership and was even jailed in 2023 for allegedly plotting against his government.

His sudden rise to power has alarmed many international observers, prompting swift condemnation from the AU and UN.

Despite the political upheaval, Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, remained calm on Wednesday. Residents gathered at the historic Place du 13 Mai square — a frequent protest site — where violent clashes had occurred just days earlier.

Members of the youth-led Gen Z movement, which launched demonstrations in late September over widespread shortages of water and electricity, expressed cautious optimism.

“We’re ready for change,” the group wrote on Facebook, noting that Randrianirina had shown willingness to engage in dialogue.

“We’re worried about what comes next, but we’re savouring this first victory that gave us hope,” said 26-year-old Fenitra Razafindramanga, captain of the national rugby team.

In the northern city of Antsiranana, local businesswoman Muriella said she felt relief at Rajoelina’s removal.

“It feels like we’ve just been released from prison,” she told AFP, adding: “This is also a message to his successor: learn from this and don’t make the same mistakes.”

Meanwhile, Rajoelina’s office denounced the court’s ruling that validated the impeachment, calling it illegal and unconstitutional.

“This decision, tainted by multiple defects in both substance and form, is illegal, irregular, and unconstitutional,” the statement said, warning it could destabilize the country.

Before his ouster, Rajoelina had insisted he would not resign, addressing the nation from an undisclosed location earlier in the week.

Amid reports that France, Madagascar’s former colonial ruler, helped him leave the country, he said he was now in a “safe place” to protect his life.

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