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Crowds surged into the streets of the capital on Tuesday as soldiers linked to an elite unit announced they had assumed control of government institutions, capping three weeks of youth-led protests and weeks of mounting tension that began over chronic power and water shortages. Scenes of cheering demonstrators embracing uniformed troops were widely recorded across Antananarivo, where many residents hailed the sudden shift as a long-awaited turning point.

The immediate trigger for the unrest was a wave of demonstrations that began on Sept. 25 over frequent blackouts, water cuts and dire living conditions.

What started as protests focused on utilities quickly broadened into mass mobilisations demanding an end to corruption, better services, and new political leadership.

The movement — largely driven by younger Madagascans who organised under informal banners and social media channels — won a pivotal boost when parts of the military, most notably the elite CAPSAT unit, publicly refused orders to fire on civilians and moved to side with demonstrators.

By Tuesday, lawmakers in the National Assembly had voted overwhelmingly to impeach President Andry Rajoelina — a dramatic parliamentary censure that came after Rajoelina attempted to dissolve the legislature.

Facing the loss of institutional backing and reports that senior security units had abandoned him, the president fled the country, according to multiple international reports.

In front of the presidential palace, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, the CAPSAT commander who emerged as the public face of the takeover, declared that the armed forces were taking control and announced the suspension of several state institutions while promising a transitional timetable.

“Crowds outside cheered, shouted. They welcomed this announcement,” an Al Jazeera correspondent reported after the military’s statement, reflecting the palpable public relief on the streets even as many observers cautioned that jubilation could give way quickly to anxiety about what comes next.

International news agencies captured images of protesters waving the Malagasy flag and embracing troops as they marched through key city avenues.

Human Cost and International Alarm

The protests have not been peaceful throughout. Reports compiled by major outlets say dozens of people were killed during clashes between protesters and security forces earlier in the unrest, and there are continuing concerns about reprisals and targeted violence as the military consolidates control.

Rights groups and foreign embassies have warned of risks to civilians and called for restraint.

The regional and international response has been swift and cautious. Several countries and airlines temporarily suspended flights or issued travel warnings; the African Union and foreign governments urged calm and insisted that any transition respect human rights and quickly return the country to civilian rule.

The newly self-appointed military leadership has pledged to install a transitional government and hold elections — officials mentioned a two-year horizon in some statements — but gave few concrete guarantees on the mechanisms that would guide that process.

Who is Behind the Takeover?

CAPSAT, an elite unit that played a crucial role in Madagascar’s politics before, emerged as the decisive actor when it stopped following orders and marched into the capital to meet protesters.

Colonel Michael Randrianirina’s presence at the palace and the appointment of military-aligned figures to senior commands signalled the unit’s centrality to the power shift.

CAPSAT’s involvement recalled the 2009 upheaval that brought Rajoelina to prominence, and analysts warned the unit’s re-entry into politics would reshape governance in the short term.

Parliament’s impeachment vote, which sources reported passed by a large margin, provided a veneer of legal cover for the change — even as critics described the sequence of events as effectively a coup.

Rajoelina, who first rose to power after a 2009 crisis, denounced the seizure as illegal from afar, and his allies sought to portray his departure as forced by threats to his life. International commentators stressed the constitutional ambiguity surrounding the dissolution attempts and the assembly’s counters.

Public mood: Hope Mixed with Caution

For many on the streets, jubilation was real and immediate. Young protesters cheered, danced, and sang national songs; some carried banners calling for structural reforms and better basic services. “We stood up for our future,” said one student filmed at a central rally; their remarks echoed broad youth sentiment that felt ignored by successive administrations.

Yet amid the celebrations were voices urging caution — community leaders and civil society activists warned that military rule, even if initially welcomed, can quickly curtail freedoms and stall democratic progress.

Analysts said the situation’s trajectory will hinge on two interlinked tests: whether the military honours its public promise to install a civilian government and a clear timetable for elections, and whether political actors and civil society can hold the new authorities accountable.

The coming days will also test the military’s ability to manage essential services and stabilize an economy already battered by poverty and chronic infrastructure failures.

What Happens Next

Madagascar now enters an uncertain transitional phase. The declared suspension of certain institutions and the appointment of military figures to key roles raise questions about legal legitimacy and the protection of civil liberties.

International bodies and foreign governments are expected to press for clarity on timelines and guarantees for a return to civilian rule; at the same time, the ground reality in Antananarivo suggests a population exhausted by recurring shortages and eager for immediate improvements.

How the new holders of power balance promises of reform with democratic norms will determine whether Tuesday’s jubilation becomes the seed of durable change — or the opening chapter of a longer period of instability.

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