Madagascar‘s new military leader, who came to power on the back of a popular rebellion, has announced that he will be sworn in as the country’s president, defying the decision of the African Union (AU) to suspend the island nation’s membership.
The military seized power, forcing President Andry Rajoelina to flee the country last week. Colonel Michael Randrianirina announced late on Wednesday that he will take his oath as the country’s new leader on Friday, saying the High Constitutional Court will perform the ceremony.
“Colonel Michael Randrianirina will be sworn in as the President for the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar during a formal hearing,” the statement read.
The announcement throws the country deeper into a constitutional crisis, as Rajoelina has refused to renounce his position as president and earlier ordered the dissolution of the National Assembly. He had also accused the assembly of colluding with Randrianirina to mount the military takeover.
In a statement to the AFP news agency late on Wednesday, Rajoelina said he left the country between October 11 and 12 after “explicit and extremely serious threats were made against the life of the Head of State”.
According to news reports, Rajoelina was evacuated on Sunday on board a French military plane.
On Monday, Rajoelina said he had taken refuge in a “safe place” without giving further details.
Rajoelina has remained silent about the possibility of returning to the country.
Randrianirina said earlier that the military had taken power and dissolved all institutions except the National Assembly.
He also said a committee led by the military would rule for up to two years alongside a transitional government before organising new elections.
The removal of the former leader followed weeks of deadly “Gen-Z” protests, which initially erupted over power and water shortages, and evolved into the most serious crisis the country and Rajoelina’s government had faced in years.
Randrianirina was a commander in the elite CAPSAT army unit that played a key role in the 2009 coup, which brought Rajoelina to power, but broke ranks with him last week, urging soldiers not to fire on protesters.
Madagascar is the latest of several former French colonies to have fallen under military control since 2020, after coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon and Guinea.
On Wednesday, the AU suspended Madagascar as a member with immediate effect following the coup, and called for the restoration of civilian-led governance as well as elections.
Suspension by the 55-member bloc carries political weight and could isolate the country’s new leadership.
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