Impeached Madagascar President Rajoelina Confirms He Fled Country

Madagascar’s ousted president, Andry Rajoelina, has confirmed for the first time that he fled the country over the weekend following a military-led takeover that has thrown the Indian Ocean island nation into political turmoil.

In a statement released late Wednesday, the presidency said Rajoelina left between October 11 and 12 after receiving “explicit and extremely serious threats” to his life.

“The threats were made when the Head of State was due to travel abroad for an official mission,” the statement, sent to AFP, said.

Media reports indicated that the 51-year-old leader was evacuated on Sunday aboard a French military aircraft.

Rajoelina, who first seized power in 2009 through a military-backed coup, said on Monday that he had taken refuge in a “safe place” but gave no further details.

Ousted Leader Accuses Lawmakers, Military of Collusion

Rajoelina accused members of the National Assembly of conspiring with the military to remove him from office after weeks of youth-led protests demanding his resignation.

The Gen Z movement, which began its demonstrations on September 25 over water shortages and energy failures, has since backed the military’s intervention.

The army unit that seized control on Sunday announced that Colonel Michael Randrianirina would be sworn in as president on Friday, effectively cementing the power shift.

International Outrage as AU, UN Condemn Coup

The United Nations denounced the takeover as “unconstitutional,” while the African Union on Wednesday suspended Madagascar with immediate effect, citing its zero-tolerance policy for military coups.

The crisis in Madagascar marks the latest in a growing wave of military power seizures across Africa, following coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, and Gabon since 2020.

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