Madagascar military seizes power as Rajoelina impeached in coup

A colonel in Madagascar’s elite CAPSAT military unit, Col. Michael Randrianirina, announced on Tuesday that the military is taking power, confirming that President Andry Rajoelina had likely been ousted in a coup. This came after parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina, who had fled the country amid a rebellion by soldiers.

Randrianirina said the military would form a council with officers from the military and gendarmerie and appoint a prime minister to form a civilian government. He also declared that the constitution and powers of the High Constitutional Court had been suspended and announced a referendum in two years.

The protests against Rajoelina, initially sparked by electricity and water shortages, grew into widespread dissatisfaction with his leadership, touching on poverty, corruption, and the cost of living. CAPSAT, the same unit that helped Rajoelina come to power in a 2009 coup, appears to now hold authority. Thousands of young protesters in Antananarivo continued demanding Rajoelina’s resignation.