Madagascar coup leader Michael Randrianirina sworn in as president after Rajoelina’s ouster

Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as Madagascar's president on Friday, following a military coup that toppled the government amid youth-led protests.

The takeover has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and the African Union, with the latter suspending Madagascar’s membership.

Ousted President Andry Rajoelina fled the country, citing threats to his life. He was impeached in absentia on Tuesday, after Randrianirina announced that the military would assume power.

The coup followed three weeks of anti-government demonstrations, largely led by young people protesting chronic electricity and water shortages, as well as widespread poverty.

The unrest intensified when Randrianirina's military unit, known by its French acronym CAPSAT, mutinied and joined the protesters.

Poverty in Madagascar

Madagascar ranks among the lowest ten countries on the UN Human Development Index.

In 2022, the World Bank reported that three-quarters of its 30 million citizens lived below the poverty line, with only 36 per cent having access to electricity, often unreliable due to daily outages.

Randrianirina announced that a military-led committee would govern alongside a transitional government for up to two years before new elections are held.

"Madagascar has not chosen a military regime," he told reporters Thursday.

"The government belongs to civilians. The presidential council is also composed of military and civilians," he added.

Rajoelina’s current whereabouts remain unknown, though some media reports suggest the 51-year-old was evacuated on Sunday aboard a French military plane to the French island of Reunion, from where he later travelled to Dubai.

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