We're pausing our live coverage of the dramatic developments in Madagascar. Here's a round-up of what's happened:

• An elite military unit in Madagascar says it has seized power, ousting the country's embattled President Andry Rajoelina
• CAPSAT has suspended key democratic institutions but has promised elections within two years
• Madagascar's constitutional court named the unit's commander Col Michael Randrianirina as the country's new leader, but the president's office insists Rajoelina is still in charge
• Lawmakers earlier voted to impeach Rajoelina, which he rejected as "null and void"
• His whereabouts are unclear - there are reports he has fled the country on a French military plane. He said he was sheltering in a "safe place" after an attempt on his life

Thank you for joining us. You can keep up-to-date on the latest developments, by going to our Africa page.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Before today, there have been three military takeovers in Madagascar since independence in 1960:

• 1972 - Economic stagnation triggers protests leading founding President Philibert Tsiranana to hand over power to a military council
• 1975 - Lt-Com Didier Ratsiraka is named head of state after a coup. He is then elected president for a seven-year term
• 2009 - Protests build in the capital, Antananarivo, against President Marc Ravalomanana. He is overthrown by the military, and opposition leader and city mayor Andry Rajoelina assumes power with the army's backing

Sammy Awami
Reporting from Antananarivo

In an exclusive BBC interview hours before he seized power, Col Michael Randrianirina dismissed Rajoelina's fears that his troops wanted to kill him.

"It's not true, we have no plan to touch a single hair on the president's [head]. Who are we to do that? Soldiers are not trained to kill a president, that's the job of mercenaries - not us. We're here to protect the people, and the country," Col Randrianirina said.

The military commander also told the BBC he believed Rajoelina was out of the country - something the presidency denies.

"In my opinion he made the speech outside the territory. I don't think that this speech exists in Madagascar, it doesn't exist. We don't give it any consideration. We do not recognise his speech, that’s it."

Speaking earlier on Tuesday - before MPs voted to impeach the president and before CAPSAT announced it was seizing power in country - the commander told the BBC "total chaos" was reigning in Madagascar.

Asked who he reports to, Col Randrianirina replied:

"We have a Malagasy Chief of Staff of the Army who was just appointed two or three days ago. And there's also the Minister of the Armed Forces, who's still there and still working... We have both of them as leaders."

Sammy Awami
Reporting from Antananarivo

Image source, Reuters

The military unit known as CAPSAT is the most powerful in Madagascar, and the tide turned against President Rajoelina once it entered the political arena on Saturday.

That's when its troops left their barracks, and joined youth-led protesters in the capital, Antananarivo, demanding the president's resignation.

CAPSAT soldiers escorted protesters on foot - and others drove into the city, with crowds hanging from their vehicles. This act of mutiny against President Rajoelina's government was led by Col Michael Randrianirina - the man who is now in power in Madagascar.

CAPSAT stands for Personnel Administration and Technical and Administrative Services Corps.

It is, in fact, the name of a military camp, and the troops based there are referred to by the same name.

The camp is part of the army’s administrative, technical, and personnel services. Its troops are not a frontline combat unit, but are integral to the military’s internal structure, logistics, and support operations.

The camp is strategically located near Antananarivo. This, along with its size and arms depot, gives it enormous political and military clout.

In 2009, CAPSAT was the site of a mutiny, partly driven by dissatisfaction with the handling of mass protests against then-President Marc Ravalomana's government.

The mutiny was key to the ousting of Ravalomanana, and the rise of Andry Rajoelina.

Now, CAPSAT has risen against Rajoelina after his government was accused of using excessive force to quell protests.

The paramilitary gendarmes formed the backbone of Rajoelina's support, and there were reports on Saturday and Sunday that they were involved in shoot-outs with CAPSAT soldiers near their camp.

But CAPSAT won the battle, announcing on Sunday that it had taken control of all armed forces - the first step towards taking power in Madagascar.

If the military takeover is confirmed in Madagascar then it will be the latest in a series of coups to have hit the continent this decade:

• August 2020 - Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta was overthrown. A second coup a year later deposed Bah Ndaw, who had been installed as a civilian interim president
• September 2021 - Guinea's military overthrew President Alpha Condé
• October 2021 - Sudan's military overthrew the transitional authority that was installed after the 2019 overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir
• January 2022 - Burkina Faso's military deposed President President Roch Kaboré. A second coup seven months later led by Capt Ibrahim Traoré overthrew the initial junta
• July 2023 - Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum overthrown as the West African country joined neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali as countries under military rule
• August 2023 - Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba overthrown by Gen Brice Oligui who in April this year was elected president

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

The recent events in Madagascar have thrown a spotlight on a country that doesn't often make the international news. Here's a quick primer in case you want to know more:

• More than 400km (250 miles) off the south-east coast of Africa, Madagascar is the fourth largest island by area in the world
• Having developed in isolation, the island nation is famed for its unique wildlife
• It’s also well known for its prized vanilla crop. The plant was brought to the island in the 19th Century
• Madagascar became a French colony at the end of the 19th Century despite the resistance of the last monarch Queen Ranavalona III. It gained independence in 1960
• The island has gone through a series of political upheavals in recent years. In 2009 Andry Rajoelina came to power following a bloodless coup that ousted Marc Ravalomanana
• Rajoelina stepped down in 2013, but returned after the 2018 election
• Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 75% of its 30 million people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank
• Only about one-third of the population have access to electricity, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Image source, Henry Guttmann Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

There is still no word from the president himself after the military announced hours ago that it was kicking him out of power.

But a statement from his office insists he remains in charge.

"The president of the republic remains fully in office and ensures the maintenance of constitutional order and national stability," it said.

"The presence of armed military forces in front of the presidential palace constitutes a clear act of attempted coup d'etat," it added.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

People in the capital Antananarivo have been in jubilant mood since the early hours of Monday, sensing change was afoot but with no official announcement from the presidency.

Since then, MPs have voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina and the military has announced its takeover.

While much is still uncertain about how the next few days and weeks will look, many citizens seem confident the worst is behind them:

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Crowds formed early on at Antanarivo's Town Hall:

Image source, Reuters

"Rajoelina and Macron out," says this man's sign, referring to unconfirmed reports that France had airlifted Madagascar's president out of the country.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image source, EPA

Officers from the elite military unit that has seized power in Madagascar have rolled through the capital, Antananarivo, in armoured Humvees and pick-up trucks, AFP reports.

Crowds lined the pavements, cheering and waving as they passed, while motorists honked their car horns and some followed the convoy in what AFP describes as a victory lap through the city.

Sammy Awami
Reporting from Antananarivo

Local media are reporting that the constitutional court in Madagascar has confirmed the leadership of Col Mickael Randrianirina.

The court also confirmed vacancies in the office of the president and the president of the senate.

The court took the decision despite the fact that the military has announced the suspension of its activities.

Earlier, the national assembly - the lower house of parliament - voted to impeach President Rajoelina, accusing him of desertion of duty.

President Andry Rajoelina has not yet commented on the announcement of the military takeover.

His exact whereabouts are unknown but he is widely believed to have left the country.

Earlier Rajoelina had tried to dissolve the national assembly - the lower house of parliament - before it voted to impeach him. He put that announcement on X, external.

His next post, which was shared as parliament was getting ready to vote, external, was about the energy crisis.

"In order to increase energy production in Madagascar and address the electricity difficulties faced by our fellow citizens, I am currently overseeing the reception of new production units. These facilities will enhance the national energy capacity," he wrote.

He then said: "I’m following up with several official visits planned to friendly countries, members of [the regional body] Sadc, before returning home to personally oversee the commissioning of these facilities."

The elite military unit's announcement that it had suspended the activities of the Constitutional Court is significant.

The court was supposed to have approved the decision of the National Assembly - the lower house of parliament - to impeach Rajoelina, for it to take effect.

Image source, Real TV Madagascar / YouTube

"We will form a government and reach consensus," Col Michael Randrianirina has told reporters in Madagascar after announcing that his elite unit, CAPSAT, had seized power.

Asked if they would hold elections, he replied: "Of course." This will happen within the next "18 months to two years", he said.

The CAPSAT chief said Gen Z Mada protesters would be part of the changes because "the movement was created in the streets so we have to respect their demands".

He said he and his fellow officers had no choice but to unseat the current regime.

"There is no president, there is no government... nothing here works."

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

CAPSAT, the military unit which says it has ousted President Rajoelina, was instrumental in him becoming president in the first place.

In 2009, CAPSAT supported Rajoelina when he seized power from then-President Marc Ravalomanana. Now, it has turned on him following mass protests against his rule.

Sammy Awami
Reporting from Antananarivo

The head of the elite unit that says it has seized power in Madagascar has announced that it would be suspending all constitutional institutions except the lower house of parliament, which earlier voted to impeach the president.

This includes the senate, the constitutional court and the electoral commission, the Reuters news agency reports.

Here's a quick recap on the events of the last few weeks:

• Just over two weeks ago, a youth-led movement began protesting against chronic water and power cuts across the country
• The demonstrations soon escalated, with protesters expressing anger over issues like the cost of living, and calling on President Andry Rajoelina to quit
• On Saturday, troops from a powerful army unit known as CAPSAT unexpectedly left their barracks to join protesters
• Two days later, reports emerged that Rajoelina had been evacuated by the French military and may have headed for Dubai. However, there has been no official confirmation of this
• On Monday night Rajoelina said he was sheltering in a "safe place" after an alleged attempt on his life
• Hours before lawmakers began a vote to impeach Rajoelina for abandoning his post, he announced he was dissolving the national assembly
• The vote continued regardless, with lawmakers voting overwhelmingly to impeach the president
• CAPSAT then announced it was taking over

After announcing that his elite unit, CAPSAT, had taken power, Col Michael Randrianirina has been speaking more about what happens next.

He said that CAPSAT will create a committee with officers from the army, gendarmerie and national police.

"Perhaps in time it will include senior civilian advisers. It is this committee that will carry out the work of the presidency," Col Randrianirina is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.

"At the same time, after a few days, we will set up a civilian government."

Here's a picture of Colonel Michael Randrianirina and other members of the elite CAPSAT military unit, standing in front of the presidential palace after announcing they had taken power.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

We are getting more details on what appears to be a military takeover.

Colonel Michael Randrianirina, head of the elite CAPSAT military unit, read a statement on national radio saying: "We have taken the power."

CAPSAT defied the president's authority at the weekend, unexpectedly joining forces with the protesters who have been demanding Rajoelina resign.

Members of Rajoelina's party, IRMAR, were present at the impeachment vote in the national assembly - and even they voted overwhelmingly against him, increasing the pressure on him to step down.