In recent years, Africa’s political landscape has witnessed a strategic transformation and dramatic change, with an increasing number of countries adopting military rule, gaining public support to oust elected governments, and challenging the credibility of democratic institutions in Africa. Since 2020, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Chad, Sudan, and Gabon have all witnessed military/military-backed coups.
Madagascar, the fourth-largest island in the world, lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, recently witnessed a severe political crisis in the aftermath of the ousting of President Andry Rajoelina and the seizure of power by the military, led by the elite Army Personnel and Services Administration Corps (CAPSAT).
The island country, previously known as the Malagasy Republic, had witnessed a similar unconstitutional transfer of power in 2009, whereby ousted president Andry Rajoelina seized power from democratically elected president Marc Ravalomanana through a military coup, following almost three months of violent protests. The CAPSAT’s seizure of power in Madagascar makes it the 10th successful unconstitutional change of government by a military/military-backed junta in Africa since 2020.
‘Gen-Z Madagascar’ Protests and the Political Escalation
The 2025 political crisis in Madagascar stems from mass protests carried out by the Malagasy youths who formed a movement known as the Generation Z Madagascar (Gen-Z). Due to repressive responses by the government against the demonstrators, the protests, which began in late September 2025 in the capital Antananarivo, escalated quickly and continued to spread to other states in early October 2025. Initially, the reason behind the protests, as clamoured by the demonstrators and illustrated in placards and banners, was the persistent failure of President Andry Rajoelina’s administration to provide reliable electricity and a constant water supply and numerous deep-rooted socio-economic grievances such as high rates of poverty, unemployment, and corruption.
According to reports, only one-third of the Madagascans had access to electricity prior to the crisis, as the majority of citizens witness daily power outages that could last for 10 to 13 hours and suffer from water shortages that could stretch for days or weeks, making basic living extremely difficult for them. In a move to address the escalating situation, President Rajoliena sacked the Energy Minister on September 26, 2025, and further announced the dissolution of the entire government on September 29, 2025, followed by the appointment of military general Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo as the new Prime Minister on October 6, 2025. However, these steps failed to address the public’s demand.
In the long run, the protests quickly made a shift in demand, transcending the demand for power and water cut fixes, and evolved into mass anti-government demonstrations, demanding a complete overhaul of the political system, with calls for the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina by demonstrators.
The Military Intervention
The protests entered a new phase on October 11, 2025, when the elite Personnel Administration and Technical and Administrative Services Corps known as CAPSAT announced its mutiny and also declared its support for the Gen-Z-led demonstrations. Being the most powerful military unit in Madagascar and the technical, administrative, and logistical backbone of the entire military, its decision to join the protesters at the symbolic Place du 13 Mai square provided the Gen-Z movement with the unwavering military backing needed to challenge the government. This unit, which played a pivotal role in the 2009 coup that installed President Andry Rajoelina as the transitional president, ultimately turned its back against the president, who is a former ally. This defection signalled the collapse of political support for President Andry Rajoelina.
The journey to the unconstitutional change of power began on October 12, 2025, when President Rajoelina reportedly fled the country for an unknown location, citing extremely serious threats to his life as reasons for absconding. He, however, tried to dissolve the Madagascar National Assembly on October 14, 2025, after issuing a decree from hiding, in a bid to prevent his impeachment. Unfortunately, lawmakers ignored the decree and proceeded to impeach him unanimously, creating a vacuum in the country’s most significant political post.
Following the impeachment vote, Colonel Micheal Randrianirina, the CAPSAT commander and a popular critic of President Andry Rajoelina, made a public announcement that the armed forces had taken power, in a move that was widely seen as a rescue to the country’s collapsing political structure. He suspended the constitution and declared a military council tasked to work towards a transition to civilian rule within 18 months to two years and was sworn in as the interim president on October 17, 2025.
In his words, he justified the move with claims that it was not a coup but a necessary action because the country was on the brink of collapse. “Today marks a turning point for our nation, for the Madagascan people themselves are thirsting for profound change in the way our country is governed,” Randrianirina said.
The military takeover of power drew the world’s attention, condemnation, and suspension. While the United Nations issued a condemnation of the change of power, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council immediately suspended Madagascar and called for immediate transfer of power to a civilian administration. In a move towards easing diplomatic tensions, the military interim president appointed a popular businessman named Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo as the new Madagascar prime minister due to his experience and connexion with international organisations that work with the Madagascar government.
Currently, the political situation in Madagascar still looks fragile as the new military-backed government looks forward towards gaining legitimacy and easing international pressure, while it is tasked at the same time to fulfill the expectations of protesters whose movement fueled the change.