A military coup has taken place in Madagascar, according to an Associated Press report that also shows that the country’s parliament has voted to oust President Andry Rajoelina, who recently fled the country.
Madagascar is a large island off the coast of the African mainland.
Immediately after parliament voted to oust Rajoelina, who fled the country fearing for his safety, the leader of Madagascar’s elite military unit CAPSAT said the armed forces would form a council made up of army and police officers, or gendarmerie, and appoint a prime minister to “quickly” form a civilian government.
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Members of the Madagascar Army’s CAPSAT unit ride in armored vehicles as they take a defensive stance as they leave the presidential palace in Antananarivo, October 14, 2025. (LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images)
“We are taking over,” Colonel Michael Randrianirina claimed, according to the exhaust.
He said the constitution and the powers of the High Constitutional Court had been suspended and a referendum would be held in two years, although he did not go into details.
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Members of Madagascar’s CAPSAT army unit patrol in an armored vehicle as residents gather for a ceremony honoring protesters killed in anti-government demonstrations in Antananarivo, Oct. 12, 2025. (LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images)
The president’s office released a statement labeling the military figure’s announcement as an “illegal statement” and “a serious violation of the rule of law,” stressing that “the Republic of Madagascar cannot be held hostage by force.” The state remains standing,” the AP said.
Rajoelina issued a decree seeking to dissolve the country’s lower house in an apparent attempt to avoid impeachment, the AP reported, noting that lawmakers ignored the move.
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Members of Madagascar’s CAPSAT army unit patrol in a pickup truck as they are greeted with cheers by residents who gathered for a ceremony honoring protesters killed in anti-government demonstrations in Antananarivo on October 12, 2025. (LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images)
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CAPSAT is the military entity that rebelled against the country’s government in 2009 and helped Rajoelina gain power, the newspaper said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
