The African Union (AU) has suspended Madagascar following a military coup that toppled President Andry Rajoelina, throwing the island nation into deeper political turmoil.
Army Colonel Michael Randrianirina, now at the helm, announced on Wednesday that he would soon be sworn in as president after the country’s constitutional court invited him to assume the role. His declaration came only hours after the AU’s Peace and Security Council condemned the takeover and froze Madagascar’s membership with immediate effect.
Rajoelina, who fled abroad over the weekend amid escalating protests and military defections, dismissed his impeachment by lawmakers and described the power grab as illegitimate.
“My so-called removal is null and void,” he said in a statement issued from exile.
The crisis followed weeks of youth-led demonstrations, known locally as the “Gen Z protests,” that swept through the capital, Antananarivo, demanding Rajoelina’s resignation over corruption allegations and worsening economic hardship.
Tensions peaked when sections of the military defied orders to disperse the crowds and instead joined the demonstrators — a turning point that hastened Rajoelina’s downfall.
By Tuesday, the army declared all state institutions dissolved except the lower house of parliament, which had voted to impeach the president. Randrianirina, commander of the elite CAPSAT unit, defended the intervention as an act “to restore order,” pledging a two-year transitional period before new elections.
“We took responsibility yesterday,” he told reporters. “We will be sworn in soon.”
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At its emergency session in Addis Ababa, the AU’s Peace and Security Council described the events as an “unconstitutional change of government,” a move that automatically triggers suspension under the Union’s charter.
AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf reaffirmed the bloc’s stance on constitutional governance, warning against normalising coups on the continent.
“The rule of law must prevail over the rule of force,” Youssouf said. “Our approach is grounded in law and dialogue.”
The suspension marks the latest blow to Madagascar’s fragile democracy, already tested by years of political instability and recurring military interventions.