The African Union has suspended Madagascar with immediate effect following a military takeover led by Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, who assumed power after President Andry Rajoelina’s impeachment.
The suspension was announced shortly after the country’s top court confirmed Randrianirina as transitional president, deepening the political crisis in the Indian Ocean nation.
The coup followed weeks of mass protests and a parliamentary vote to remove Rajoelina, who has reportedly fled the country. The elite CAPSAT military unit seized control and pledged to organize elections within two years.
The United Nations and other international actors have condemned the power grab as unconstitutional.
Madagascar now joins a growing list of African nations—including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea—that have experienced military takeovers since 2020.
