Agency Report
Madagascar’s ousted president, Andry Rajoelina, has for the first time confirmed that he fled the country following last week’s military takeover, which has plunged the island nation into renewed political turmoil.
In a statement released late Wednesday, the presidency said Rajoelina left between October 11 and 12 after receiving “explicit and extremely serious threats” to his life. The threats reportedly came just as the president was scheduled to embark on an official trip abroad.
“The Head of State was forced to leave the national territory after extremely serious threats were made against his life,” the statement read.
According to multiple media reports, the 51-year-old leader was evacuated aboard a French military aircraft and is now in an undisclosed location. Rajoelina had earlier said he had taken refuge in a “safe place”, without offering further details.
The former leader accused the National Assembly of conspiring with elements of the military to orchestrate his removal. The soldiers who seized control have since announced that Colonel Michael Randrianirina will be sworn in as interim president on Friday.
The coup followed weeks of mass demonstrations led by the youth-driven “Gen Z Movement”, which began on September 25 over severe water shortages, erratic electricity supply, and worsening economic conditions.
While the protesters welcomed the intervention by Randrianirina’s faction, describing it as a “people’s correction,” the international community has reacted sharply.
The United Nations condemned the seizure of power as an “unconstitutional act,” while the African Union announced on Wednesday that Madagascar had been suspended from the continental body with immediate effect.
Madagascar now joins a growing list of African nations — including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, and Gabon — where military juntas have overthrown civilian governments since 2020, fuelling concerns about a spreading pattern of democratic backsliding across the continent.
Rajoelina, a former disc jockey turned politician, first rose to power in 2009 after leading a military-backed coup that ousted then-President Marc Ravalomanana. He later returned to office through elections in 2018, positioning himself as a reformer promising stability and development.
However, his administration has faced rising public discontent over economic stagnation, corruption allegations, and worsening living conditions.
With the military now in control, analysts warn that Madagascar’s fragile democracy — already battered by years of instability — faces one of its most uncertain chapters yet.
Why Madagascar’s Coup Matters
Madagascar’s latest power shift carries deep regional and geopolitical implications. The Indian Ocean island nation, long seen as one of Africa’s more stable democracies, now joins a growing list of Francophone African countries — including Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Gabon — where military coups have toppled elected governments since 2020.
Unlike previous coups driven by security crises or anti-French sentiment, Madagascar’s upheaval stems from deep socio-economic frustration — chronic water scarcity, erratic electricity, youth unemployment, and corruption. The protests that triggered the coup were led by a new generation of citizens demanding reform rather than military rule, yet their movement has been swiftly overtaken by the army.
For the African Union and Western allies, the coup represents another setback in the continent’s democratic trajectory. Analysts warn that if unresolved, Madagascar’s crisis could embolden military adventurism elsewhere and further weaken continental institutions struggling to uphold constitutional governance.