Madagascar has been suspended by the African Union following a military coup that ousted President Andry Rajoelina. The nation’s political crisis culminated when an elite army unit seized power shortly after parliament voted to impeach the president. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, the coup leader who has been confirmed as president by the nation’s top court, will be sworn into office on Friday. He defends the military’s intervention as necessary to save a country on the “brink of collapse,” pledging a transition to civilian rule within two years. The swift takeover has drawn widespread international concern, with the UN and other nations calling for a return to constitutional order. The move has sparked mixed reactions: while youth-led protesters celebrated it as hope for systemic change, members of the international community remain wary of the uncertainty ahead.
The Guardian