Online Reporter
An army colonel who seized power in a military coup was sworn in as Madagascar’s new leader on Friday, in a lightning-fast power grab that ousted the president and sent him fleeing from the country into hiding.
Colonel 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 and 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 sprawling Indian Ocean island of around 30 million people off Africa’s east coast. The United Nations 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 — which came after three weeks of anti-government protests by mainly young people — led to Madagascar being suspended from the African Union.
President Andry Rajoelina’s whereabouts are unknown after he left the country, claiming his life was in danger following the rebellion by soldiers loyal to Randrianirina.
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. 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.
He took his oath with ceremonial military guards of honour on either side of the room.
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. — africanews
