AU suspends Madagascar as military leader to be sworn in as president
Key Takeaways
- Military leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina will be sworn in as Madagascar's transitional president on October 17.
- The African Union suspended Madagascar following the unconstitutional removal of President Andry Rajoelina.
- Rajoelina was ousted after weeks of youth-led protests demanding better governance, jobs, and an end to corruption and outages.
- Randrianirina led the military faction that sided with protesters to remove Rajoelina, promising elections in two years.
- The political crisis is rooted in Madagascar's history of coups and widespread poverty affecting much of the population.
Military leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina is scheduled to be sworn in as Madagascarâs transitional president on October 17, following a coup that removed President Andry Rajoelina, who has since condemned the takeover and fled the country. In response to the unconstitutional change of power, the African Union has suspended Madagascar from the bloc, and the United Nations expressed deep concern. The takeover was supported by youth-led demonstrations, labor unions, and civic groups who protested against chronic issues including corruption, poverty, and utility outages. Colonel Randrianirina, a former critic of Rajoelina, has promised to hold elections within two years. Demonstrators celebrated the military's support, viewing the event as a necessary 'awakening of the people' against the previous administration.
