The military took control of Madagascar on Tuesday after parliament voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina, who fled the country over the weekend amid mounting pressure from youth-led protests and a military rebellion.
Col. Michael Randrianirina of the elite CAPSAT military unit announced from the steps of the presidential palace that the armed forces had assumed power and would establish a transitional government.
“We have taken the power,” Randrianirina told reporters, adding that a military-led committee would rule the island nation for up to two years before organizing new elections.
The announcement came minutes after lawmakers voted to impeach Rajoelina for abandoning his post. His whereabouts remain unknown, though reports suggest he may have left aboard a French military aircraft.
The takeover follows three weeks of massive anti-government demonstrations that began September 25 over chronic water and electricity shortages but evolved into broader protests against poverty, corruption and the rising cost of living. The United Nations reports the unrest killed at least 22 people and injured more than 100.
The protests, organized by a group calling itself “Gen Z Madagascar,” drew inspiration from similar youth movements that have challenged governments across Kenya, Bangladesh and Nepal in recent months.
A critical turning point came Saturday when CAPSAT soldiers joined protesters in the capital, calling on fellow troops to disobey orders to fire on demonstrators. By Sunday, the military unit had declared control of all armed forces.
In his last public statement Monday, recorded from an undisclosed location, Rajoelina said he feared for his life but did not formally resign. His government has denounced the military action as a coup d’état.
Many protesters, however, celebrated in the streets of Antananarivo following the military’s announcement, with some calling it a popular revolution rather than a coup.
Only about one-third of Madagascar’s 31 million people have access to electricity, according to the International Monetary Fund, with daily blackouts often exceeding eight hours.
The African Union has expressed “deep concern” over the developments and called for calm and restraint from all parties.
Madagascar, a former French colony off Africa’s east coast, has a history of political instability. Rajoelina himself first came to power in 2009 through a military-backed uprising.
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