An elite military unit in Madagascar says it has seized power after weeks of youth-led protests, ousting President Andry Rajoelina.
CAPSAT chief Colonel Michel Randrianirina said the army would form a government and hold elections within two years. However, he has suspended key democratic institutions such as the electoral commission.
“This protest was created in the streets, so we must respect the demands of the Gen Z protesters,” Colonel Michel Randrianirina told reporters after taking power.
The army and protesters have begun celebrating the ouster of President Rajoelina, with thousands waving flags in the capital, Antananarivo.
The CAPSAT, or Personnel Administrative and Technical and Administrative Services Corps, is Madagascar’s most powerful military unit.
The unit long supported former President Andry Rajoelina, but since Saturday the 11th they have joined the protesters.