An army colonel who seized power in a military coup was set to be sworn in as Madagascar's new leader Friday in a lightning-fast power grab that ousted the president and sent him fleeing from the country into hiding, the AP reports. Col. Michael Randrianirina, the commander of an elite army unit, will take the oath of office at the nation's High Constitutional Court, he said in a statement published on state media. His ascent to the presidency would come just three days after he announced that the armed forces were taking power in the sprawling Indian Ocean island of around 30 million people off Africa's east coast.
Preparations were being made at the court buildings early Friday, with soldiers guarding entrances and officials beginning to arrive. It appeared the colonel would take the oath in the supreme court's main chamber. The military takeover—which came after three weeks of anti-government protests by mainly young people—has been condemned by the United Nations and led to Madagascar being suspended from the African Union. President Andry Rajoelina's whereabouts are unknown after he left the country claiming his life was in danger following the rebellion by soldiers loyal to Randrianirina. But there has been no major violence on the streets and Randrianirina's troops have been cheered and their takeover celebrated by Madagascans.
Randrianirina has said Madagascar will be run by a military council with him as president for between 18 months and two years before any new elections, meaning the young people who inspired the uprising against Rajoelina may have a long wait before they are able to choose their new leader. The protests, which began last month, have echoed other Gen Z-led uprisings in Nepal, Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Young Madagascans first took to the streets last month to rail against regular water and power outages, but have raised other issues, including the cost of living, the lack of opportunities, and alleged corruption and nepotism by the elite.
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