Madagascar’s ousted President confirms He fled after military takeover

Madagascar’s ousted president, Andry Rajoelina, has confirmed for the first time that he fled the country following a military-led power grab that has plunged the island nation into political turmoil.

In a statement released late Wednesday, the presidency said Rajoelina left between October 11 and 12 after “explicit and extremely serious threats were made against the life of the Head of State.” The threats reportedly came as he prepared for an official trip abroad.

Media reports indicated that the 51-year-old leader was evacuated on Sunday aboard a French military aircraft. On Monday, Rajoelina stated that he had taken refuge in a “safe place” but gave no further details.

Rajoelina, who first rose to power through a military-backed coup in 2009, accused the National Assembly of conspiring with the military to remove him from office.

Meanwhile, the military officers who seized power announced that their leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, would be sworn in as the new president on Friday.

The youth-led Gen Z movement, which launched protests on September 25 over severe water and electricity shortages, welcomed Randrianirina’s intervention.

The international community has expressed strong concern over the development. The United Nations condemned the “unconstitutional” takeover, while the African Union announced on Wednesday that Madagascar had been suspended “with immediate effect.”

Madagascar now joins a growing list of former French colonies in Africa that have experienced military takeovers since 2020, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea.