The African Union (AU) has suspended the membership of the Republic of Madagascar following a military coup which toppled incumbent civilian President Andry Rajoelina and installed a junta led by commanders of the armed forces. At the helm of the junta is Army colonel Michael Randrianrina. History is repeating itself in Antananarivo given that it was a military coup in 2009 that originally brought Rajoelina to power the first time when he was mayor of the island country’s capital. Madagascar now faces an uncertain path.
Army colonel Michael Randrianirina, who now leads the country, said on Wednesday he would soon be sworn in as president after the constitutional court invited him to assume the role. The announcement came just hours after the AU condemned the coup and froze Madagascar’s membership with immediate effect. Rajoelina, who fled the country over the weekend amid mounting street protests and military defections, has rejected his impeachment by lawmakers and denounced the military’s seizure of power. “My so-called removal is null and void,” he said in a statement issued from abroad. Weeks of youth-led demonstrations, dubbed the “Gen Z protests,” had shaken the capital, Antananarivo, with thousands demanding Rajoelina’s resignation over corruption allegations and economic hardship.
The unrest escalated when units of the army joined the protesters, refusing orders to suppress the demonstrations.
Whether Rajoelina’s impeachment was lawful or not he did mishandle and at times abused his executive powers. There was no room for transparency, accountability or any form of staying in line with the constitution during his presidency. This has resulted in the fact that Rajoelina fled Madagascar amid large scale protests led by the country’s youth movement. This has reflected a trend that started in the Himalayan nation of Nepal. Usually when one leader has been removed from power by the armed forces and replaced by the leader of the coup, the return of the former leader is not normally a possibility. The event of the “Generation Z” movement (the age groups of demonstrators from their late teens to mid-20s) reflects a deeper malaise amongst the nations in question, be it Nepal, Morocco, Madagascar or wherever in question.
The soldiers in the Malagasy military units who broke ranks to support the protestors also had had enough of the status quo. Now their Commander in Chief Randrianrina will lead a new transition. Here is what is known about him.
- He rose from obscurity to power in just three days
Before last weekend, Randrianirina was barely a public figure. That changed dramatically when he led soldiers from the elite CAPSAT unit into the capital, Antananarivo, joining massive anti-government protests. Within days, the president had fled, parliament impeached him, and Randrianirina was declared the new head of state.
- He heads Madagascar’s powerful CAPSAT military unit
CAPSAT — the Support and Administrative Personnel Corps — is no ordinary army division. It has been at the centre of every major power shift in Madagascar’s modern history. The same unit helped bring former president Rajoelina to power in 2009.
- He once served as a regional governor
Randrianirina was not always in uniform. Between 2016 and 2018, he served as governor of the southern Androy region under then president Hery Rajaonarimampianina. He later returned to the army and became head of an infantry battalion in the coastal city of Toliara, a post he held until 2022.
The reason for Randrianirina’s rise to power can be reflected in the apathy felt by the Malagasy people towards the political establishment. Now that Rajoelina has been removed from power, the Malagasies must charter a new path for their country. Rajoelina can be described as not being a cautious politician or one who was unable to read the public mood. It is poetic that the CAPSAT Unit which initially placed Rajoelina in power, would be the instrument of his downfall. The CAPSAT unit can be said to be Madagascar’s praetorian Guard, determining in times of crisis who should be at the helm of the country’s power. This may not necessarily be a good thing but Rajoelina himself had much to with bringing about his own down fall.
Relying on the police and security forces to repress opposition so you can remain in power is not a good sign that you have any right to remain so. Randrianirina has a degree of political experience to his leadership. Having served as a governor of the Androy region in the south he would learn both the dynamics of civilian leadership as well as having done military service. It remains to be seen how he fares in Madagascar’s latest transition of power.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
