Just days after leading a military takeover in Madagascar, Colonel Michael Randrianirina was officially inaugurated as president on Friday, October 17.
His rise to power followed weeks of unrest led by young demonstrators protesting against severe and ongoing power and water shortages. The protests quickly expanded, with citizens voicing frustration over rising living costs and demanding the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina.
FIVE FACTS ABOUT MADAGASCAR’S NEW LEADER
- Randrianirina hails from the Androy region in southern Madagascar, one of the country’s most impoverished areas.
- He held the position of governor of Androy from 2016 to 2018 during the administration of former President Hery Rajaonarimampianina.
- Prior to his governorship, he led an infantry battalion in the neighboring Atsimo-Andrefana region.
- In November 2023, he was arrested and handed a maximum prison sentence on charges of plotting a coup and inciting a mutiny, just ahead of the presidential election.
- The 51-year-old is the head of Madagascar’s elite military unit, CAPSAT.
