Madagascar's navy coup chief is sworn in as president of beleaguered island nation

[ad_1] A military colonel who seized energy in a navy coup was sworn in as Madagascar's new chief Friday in a lightning-fast energy seize that ousted the president and despatched him fleeing from the nation into hiding.

Col. Michael Randrianirina, the commander of an elite military unit, took the oath of workplace to turn into the brand new president at a ceremony in the primary chamber of the nation's Excessive Constitutional Court docket and in entrance of its 9 red-robed judges.

His ascent to the presidency got here simply three days after he introduced that the armed forces had been taking energy within the sprawling Indian Ocean island of round 30 million individuals off Africa's east coast.

The United Nations has condemned the navy takeover as an unconstitutional change of presidency however there was little important response from different nations, together with Madagascar's former colonial ruler, France.

The takeover — which got here after three weeks of anti-government protests by primarily younger individuals — led to Madagascar being suspended from the African Union.

President Andry Rajoelina's whereabouts are unknown after he left the nation, claiming his life was at risk following the rise up by troopers loyal to Randrianirina. He reportedly escaped on a French navy aircraft.

In his absence, Rajoelina was impeached in a vote in parliament on Tuesday, proper earlier than the colonel introduced the navy was taking energy.

Beforehand jailed Randrianirina, who's believed to be 50 or 51 years previous, swapped his navy camouflage for a darkish swimsuit and blue tie for the swearing-in ceremony, which was attended by navy officers, civilian officers and international diplomats. He took his oath with ceremonial navy guards of honour on both aspect of the room.

The colonel, who emerged from relative obscurity to guide the rise up by his CAPSAT navy unit lower than every week in the past, was briefly imprisoned two years in the past for an tried mutiny. He mentioned he spent many of the three months he was detained in late 2023 and early 2024 at a navy hospital.

<img loading="lazy" alt="A cleanshaven man in military uniform stands near a table where a woman wearing glasses is seated. Both are dark complected." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/cae4f81f-6b2a-4136-acdf-6b4b5bd23f99,1760696444423/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C7659%2C5106%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/cae4f81f-6b2a-4136-acdf-6b4b5bd23f99,1760696444423/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C7659%2C5106%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/cae4f81f-6b2a-4136-acdf-6b4b5bd23f99,1760696444423/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C7659%2C5106%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/cae4f81f-6b2a-4136-acdf-6b4b5bd23f99,1760696444423/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C7659%2C5106%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.5" data-cy="image-img"/> A soldier loyal to CAPSAT navy unit commander Col. Michael Randrianirina speaks with a vendor at an open market in Antananarivo on Thursday. (Brian Inganga/The Related Press) Madagascar has excessive charges of poverty, which have an effect on round 75 per cent of the inhabitants, in keeping with the World Financial institution. The previous French colony additionally has a tumultuous historical past of political instability since gaining independence in 1960 that has included a number of coups and tried coups.

The World Financial institution has estimated that GDP per capita has practically halved between independence in 1960 and 2020. Corruption has flourished as nicely, with the nation plummeting from 118th to a hundred and fortieth in the newest rankings of Transparency Worldwide's corruption index.

Rajoelina himself got here to energy as a transitional chief in 2009 after a military-backed coup.

Randrianirina has mentioned Madagascar can be run by a navy council with him as president for between 18 months and two years earlier than any new elections, which means the younger individuals who impressed the rebellion in opposition to Rajoelina could have a protracted wait earlier than they can select their new chief.

Rajoelina's workplace has mentioned a transfer earlier this week by the Excessive Constitutional Court docket to ask Randrianirina to turn into the brand new president was flawed and claimed that a few of the court docket's judges had been threatened.

Few indicators of violence since takeover The protests, which started final month, have echoed different Gen Z-led uprisings in Nepal, Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Younger Madagascans first took to the streets final month to rail in opposition to common water and energy outages, however have raised different points, together with the price of residing, the dearth of alternatives and alleged corruption and nepotism by the elite.

Randrianirina seized on the momentum final weekend by turning in opposition to Rajoelina and becoming a member of the anti-government protests that referred to as for the president and authorities ministers to step down. There was a quick conflict between his troopers and members of the gendarmerie safety forces nonetheless loyal to Rajoelina, throughout which one CAPSAT soldier was killed, the colonel mentioned.

However there was no main violence on the streets and Randrianirina's troops have been cheered and their takeover celebrated by Madagascans.

Randrianirina mentioned in an interview with The Related Press on Wednesday that the navy takeover was a transfer to "take duty as residents and patriots."

<img loading="lazy" alt="Several young people, dark complected and male and female, smile and lift arms in an outdoor photo." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/ccdcc267-3c35-4994-9f81-5739257c941f,1760696697775/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5000%2C3335%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/ccdcc267-3c35-4994-9f81-5739257c941f,1760696697775/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5000%2C3335%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/ccdcc267-3c35-4994-9f81-5739257c941f,1760696697775/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5000%2C3335%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/ccdcc267-3c35-4994-9f81-5739257c941f,1760696697775/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5000%2C3335%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.4992503748125936" data-cy="image-img"/> Younger residents maintain banners and have a good time at a civil society rally in Antananarivo on the day of president Andry Rajoelina's resignation on Tuesday. (Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Photos) "Any more, we are going to restore the nation to its former glory, combat in opposition to insecurity, and regularly attempt to remedy the social issues that Malagasy individuals expertise," he mentioned in an interview at his unit's barracks, the place he introduced his intention to take up the place of president.

On Thursday, UN Secretary Basic António Guterres condemned the unconstitutional change of presidency and referred to as "for the return to constitutional order and the rule of regulation," his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, mentioned.