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The decision comes months after Randrianirina assumed power in October following the removal of Andry Rajoelina. The military takeover came after weeks of protests that spread across the country, largely organised by young activists frustrated with ongoing shortages of electricity and water.
Cyclone Gezani hit Toamasina, Madagascar’s second-largest city, with winds reaching 250 kilometres per hour.
Prime Minister Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo cited local laws stipulating that individuals who hold foreign citizenship automatically lose their Malagasy nationality.
The former military commander formally took office at the Constitutional Court in Antananarivo, stepping in after President Andry Rajoelina fled the country and was later removed from office. Crowds, including the young activists who led the protests, attended the ceremony to witness the transfer of power.
Madagascar, with a population of roughly 30 million and a median age under 20, struggles with poverty, with three-quarters of citizens living in hardship. Between independence in 1960 and 2020, GDP per capita fell by 45%, according to World Bank data, fueling frustration over basic needs and governance failures.
The decree, announced via Facebook, stated that Rajoelina had consulted the leaders of the Senate and the Assembly, though the legality of the move remains unclear.
In a live Facebook broadcast to the nation on Monday night, Rajoelina, 51, claimed that “a group of military personnel and politicians planned to assassinate me.” He did not reveal his current location, though earlier unconfirmed reports suggested he may have fled the country on a French military aircraft.
In a statement on Sunday, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said the continental body is following the situation with deep concern, even as he called for dialogue among all parties to prevent further instability.
The move came after the soldiers declared they would defy any orders to shoot at protesters, according to AFP reporters.
The Indian Ocean island has seen near-daily rallies over alleged misgovernance and water and power cuts, with protesters clashing with security forces in the capital Antananarivo on Saturday.
The Indian Ocean island nation, one of the poorest globally, has a long history of popular uprisings since independence in 1960, including the 2009 mass demonstrations that toppled then president Marc Ravalomanana.
In a statement on Sunday, September 28, 2025, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Youssouf said he is closely monitoring the developments and regretted the destruction caused by the unrest.