BREAKING: Colonel Michael Randrianirina Sworn In as Madagascar’s President After Military Takeover

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

Colonel Michael Randrianirina has been sworn in as Madagascar’s new president, following a military coup that ousted former President Andry Rajoelina and forced him to flee the country.

The swearing-in ceremony took place on Friday at the Constitutional Court in Antananarivo and was attended by senior military officers, political figures, youth protest leaders, and foreign envoys from the United States, European Union, Russia, and France.

“Today marks a historic turning point for our country,” Randrianirina declared during his oath-taking ceremony, pledging to “break with the past” and launch sweeping reforms. He hailed the youth-led movement that played a key role in bringing down the previous administration, describing their actions as driven by “a deep love for their homeland.”

Randrianirina, who commanded the elite CAPSAT unit that sided with protesters during last weekend’s uprising, vowed to work with “all the driving forces of the nation” to draft a new constitution and overhaul the country’s electoral framework in preparation for fresh elections and national referendums.

“Our mission is to reform the country’s administrative, socio-economic, and political systems of governance,” he said, signalling what many have described as the beginning of a new political chapter for the Indian Ocean nation.