(FILES) Andry Rajoelina reviews the troops during the inauguration ceremony officially giving him the title of President of the Republic of Madagascar, at Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo on 19 January 2019. (Photo by RIJASOLO / AFP)
A powerful military unit in Madagascar has claimed control of the government, just hours after the country’s parliament voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina, citing “desertion of duty.”
Colonel Michael Randrianirina, commander of the elite CAPSAT unit, confirmed the takeover during a dramatic announcement in the capital.
“We have taken power,” he told AFP, flanked by uniformed officers outside a government building.
The president, 51, vanished from public view after weeks of mass protests demanding his resignation. His whereabouts remain unknown, though on Monday evening, he said he was in a “safe space” following alleged assassination attempts.
The CAPSAT unit, which played a decisive role in the 2009 coup that first installed Rajoelina as leader, declared the formation of a transitional military committee.
The body will include representatives from the army, gendarmerie, and national police.
“Perhaps in time it will include senior civilian advisers. It is this committee that will carry out the work of the presidency,” said Randrianirina, adding, “At the same time, after a few days, we will set up a civilian government.”
The power grab came swiftly after the National Assembly voted to impeach Rajoelina, passing the motion with 130 votes — well beyond the two-thirds majority needed in the 163-seat chamber.
The presidency, however, dismissed the vote as “devoid of any legal basis,” and in a last-minute move earlier in the day, Rajoelina issued a decree dissolving the parliament to halt the session.
Still, the assembly proceeded, and the final decision now rests with the High Constitutional Court, which must validate the impeachment.
Scenes from Antananarivo showed residents gathered in public squares, raising their fists and singing national songs in a civil society-led demonstration. The protests, which erupted on September 25, reached a critical tipping point over the weekend when sections of the military and security forces — including CAPSAT — began siding with demonstrators.
The fast-moving political crisis marks a dramatic turn for Rajoelina, a former DJ and mayor of Antananarivo, who has faced growing criticism over economic stagnation, corruption allegations, and heavy-handed governance.
Photos from the capital show Colonel Randrianirina standing resolutely in front of the presidential palace alongside his unit, signaling a new — and uncertain — chapter in Madagascar’s political history.
