Madagascar was scheduled to inaugurate a military officer as president on Friday, shortly after a military takeover that caused President Andry Rajoelina to leave the country and raised international concerns about a potential coup.
The nation’s highest court was expected to formalize the appointment of Colonel Michael Randrianirina in a ceremony at 10:00 am (0700 GMT), concluding a week in which Rajoelina was removed from office for neglecting his duties on Tuesday, with the military intervening.
Despite international disapproval, including from the United Nations, Randrianirina denied initiating a coup, citing the constitutional court’s support for his new position.
A large group gathered for the ceremony at the court on Friday, including representatives of a youth movement that spearheaded protests leading to Rajoelina’s removal, as well as politicians.
International representatives from the United States, the European Union, and the French ambassador were also in attendance, according to a journalist from AFP.
The 51-year-old commander of the CAPSAT unit has promised elections within 18 to 24 months and stated to local media that discussions were in progress to appoint a mutually agreeable prime minister.
“Madagascar has not chosen a military government,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“The government belongs to civilians. The presidential council is also composed of military and civilians,” he said.
Rajoelina’s supporters have criticized the constitutional court’s support of the CAPSAT commander, claiming it was full of procedural irregularities that could destabilize the former French colony.
They maintained that Rajoelina remains the leader and was working to resolve the issues facing the struggling island, including power outages that sparked youth-led protests on September 25.
Government forces were accused of a harsh crackdown on the protesters, with reports of deaths and injuries, until CAPSAT announced on October 11 that it would refuse orders to fire on them.
This statement marked a turning point in the uprising, with the unit praised by the protest movement, which now anticipates a role in the new government.
Rajoelina’s office confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that he left the country the same weekend CAPSAT supported the protesters, stating that he feared for his safety. He did not disclose his location.
Media reports indicated that the 51-year-old was transported on Sunday aboard a French military plane to the French island of Reunion, from where he traveled to Dubai.
Madagascar is the latest of several former French colonies to have experienced military takeovers since 2020, following coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea.
This is the third military transition in Madagascar since gaining independence from France in 1960, following coups in 1972 and 2009.
The country, located off the coast of Mozambique, is among the poorest in the world, despite its abundant natural resources and biodiversity.
Approximately 80 percent of its 32 million residents live in poverty, according to the World Bank.
Rajoelina’s departure marks the third time a Malagasy head of state has left the country after being overthrown. Didier Ratsiraka fled to France in 2002 after post-election violence, and Marc Ravalomanana went to South Africa in 2009.
The African Union and the regional SADC bloc announced that they would send fact-finding missions to the island and called for the preservation of constitutional democracy.
“The transition is currently underway. We call for the full involvement of civilians in the ongoing process,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday.
“The mobilization of Madagascar’s youth must be fully considered to build a lasting, peaceful, and stable solution,” he told reporters during a visit to Nigeria.
