Michael Randrianirina Sworn In as Madagascar Interim President
Why in the news
Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as interim president of Madagascar on 17 October 2025. The armed forces took control after a youth-led uprising that unseated President Andry Rajoelina.
Key facts
- Protests started on 25 September 2025, triggered by chronic water and electricity cuts in Antananarivo.
- A Facebook page called Gen Z Madagascar became the main organising hub of the movement.
- On 11 October, the CAPSAT military unit mutinied and sided with protesters; Rajoelina left the country the same day.
- On 14 October, the National Assembly impeached him by 130 votes to none against, with one blank vote.
- Randrianirina was inaugurated on 17 October.
Timeline
| Date (2025) | Event |
|---|---|
| 25 Sep | Protests begin |
| 11 Oct | CAPSAT mutiny; president leaves |
| 14 Oct | Impeachment vote |
| 17 Oct | Randrianirina sworn in |
About Madagascar
- It is the world’s fourth-largest island, in the Indian Ocean west of the Mozambique Channel.
- It became independent in 1960 and has seen repeated military-backed transfers of power, the most notable in 2009.
- Roughly 90% of its flora and fauna are endemic; the baobab is the national tree.
Exam angle
- Keep the name Michael Randrianirina and the country together for appointments questions.
- Madagascar map facts: fourth-largest island, Mozambique Channel, lemurs.
- Youth-led, Gen Z protests are a recurring international theme.