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By Ben Farmer
An army commander has been sworn in as Madagascar’s new president after weeks of “Gen Z” youth protests ended in a military takeover.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina formally took charge of the Indian Ocean nation only four days after his predecessor, President Andry Rajoelina, fled the country on a French military plane.
The rapid power grab has been condemned by the African Union and the United Nations and is the latest in a string of coups to befall former French colonies in Africa in recent years.
Colonel Randrianirina has pledged to uphold the constitutional order and abide by the country’s top court, but has said that holding new elections within 60 days, as required by law, “appears difficult”.
He suggested earlier this week that the military could rule for up to two years alongside a transitional civilian government before organising new elections.
Young protesters who rose up against Mr Rajoelina have cheered his departure, though it remains unclear whether they will be satisfied with the military stepping in to fill the power vacuum he left behind.
Mr Rajoelina fled in fear of his life after three weeks of anti-government protests.
Crowds initially marched against chronic electricity and water cuts, leading to clashes with security forces that left at least 22 people dead.
The protests soon began to echo similar Gen Z movements seen in Morocco, Indonesia, Nepal and Kenya, voicing broad disaffection with corruption, unemployment and inequality.
The turning point came when Colonel Randrianirina’s influential CAPSAT army administrative and logistics unit mutinied to join protesters and instructed troops to refuse Mr Rajoelina’s orders.
Madagascar has a history of military coups, and Mr Rajoelina himself first came to power in 2009 with the backing of CAPSAT.
Colonel Randrianirina denies taking power in a coup, saying he has the backing of the constitutional court.
“This is not a coup d’état. There was a decision by the High Constitutional Court. That’s legal, isn’t it?” he told reporters this week.
“A coup d’état is when soldiers enter the presidential palace with weapons, shoot, and there is bloodshed.”
Madagascar is one of Africa’s poorest countries but has much sought-after critical minerals, including cobalt, graphite and nickel, which are used in batteries.
American, British, Canadian, Australian, Japanese and South Korean companies all have mining operations in the country.
It was not immediately clear what the military had in mind for the mining industry and foreign investment, the Critical Threats Project said.
Recent military coups in former French colonies in West Africa, including Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, have pressured foreign mining companies to renegotiate deals they consider lopsided.
“The new Malagasy leadership has been preoccupied with consolidating power and has not made any references to foreign investment since taking power,” the project said.
Mr Rajoelina has condemned the coup, and his supporters insist he remains in power, though his whereabouts are unknown.
He is reported to have been evacuated by the French military to the island of Réunion, and from there flown on to Dubai.