Khaberni - Madagascar has recently undergone a new political shift after an elite army unit seized power. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, commander of the "Capsat" unit, stated that the transitional period will last two years before new elections are held, while the presidency refused the deposition and considered Andry Rajoelina as the legitimate president of the country.
The presidency of Madagascar condemned what it described as a "coup attempt," considering the presence of armed forces in front of the presidential palace as a threat to the constitutional order.
Local media reported from Radio France Internationale that a French military plane from Réunion Island landed secretly on Saint Marie Island, off the east coast of Madagascar, to evacuate the Malagasy president Andry Rajoelina and his family out of the country during the protests against him.
Rajoelina issued a decree dissolving the National Assembly, claiming that the vote on his deposition was illegal. The popular protests continued, called by the youth movement "Generation Z," which took to the streets to express their rejection of the political situation.
The "Capsat" unit refused to suppress the protesters and joined the movement, encouraging other forces to follow suit. Since the start of the protests, 22 fatalities and more than 100 injuries have occurred.
Colonel Randrianirina led the military movement and appointed General Demoustien Picolas as chief of staff and General Nonus Mamelson as the new commander of the gendarmerie, in an effort to unify the military institution during the transitional period.
The Constitutional Court, despite its suspension, has called for elections to be held within 60 days according to the constitution, while the army has announced a postponement for two years within the transitional period, opening the debate on the legitimacy of the new authority.
Rajoelina's smuggling sparked widespread anger in Madagascar and Africa, where citizens and activists considered it an attempt by Paris to establish a new form of colonization, prompting many to demand an official apology from French President Emmanuel Macron.
Since 2009, Madagascar has experienced a series of repeated coups amidst widespread poverty where more than 80% of the population lives. The current events add to a long record of political crises that have shaken the country.
Madagascar remains in a vague transitional phase, between the rejection of the presidency and the insistence of the army, amid expectations of escalating street confrontations in the coming days.
