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
Madagascar has been rocked by weeks of protests - here's why young people have been demonstrating against Rajoelina's rule
'We have seized power,' says head of military unit
Following the vote to impeach Rajoelina, elite military unit CAPSAT says it is taking power, the Reuters news agency reports.
AFP reports that an "army colonel" says the military has taken charge.
MPs in Madagascar's national assembly have voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina by 130 yes votes to one blank ballot.
Now, the High Constitutional Court has to validate the vote.
Image source, ReutersThe president remains defiant despite the many threats to his position
President Rajoelina has condemned the impeachment vote currently taking place.
He notes that the meeting has taken place despite him dissolving the national assembly and says the vote is unconstitutional.
Whatever the outcome of the meeting, it will be "deemed null and void", Rajoelina says in a statement posted on Facebook.
MPs in Madagascar appear animated as they decide the president's future.
Each of them is speaking briefly before placing their vote in a ballot box.
If enough vote in favour, the next step will be for the High Constitutional Court to validate it.
As the numbers rachet up, loud cheers are ringing out.
Prior to the vote, 110 out of 163 MPs had signed a letter to move forward to a vote on impeaching President Andry Rajoelina.
Omega Rakotomalala
BBC Monitoring
Lawmakers in Madagascar's national assembly are voting on whether to impeach President Andry Rajoelina.
This is despite the fact that Rajoelina announced earlier that he had dissolved the national assembly, which is the lower house of parliament.
Image source, AFPThe president of France, Emmanuel Macron, has called the situation in Madagascar "greatly worrying" but refused to comment on reports that the French military had airlifted the island's president out of the country on Sunday.
France has been the object of some protesters' ire - banners saying "Rajoelina and Macron out" have been seen at recent gatherings.
President Rajoelina's order to dissolve the national assembly came as parliamentarians were gathering ahead of an expected vote to strip him of the presidency for desertion of duty, AFP news agency reports.
Ex-President and opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana said that the national assembly - the lower house of parliament - had called an extraordinary session to "note the absence of power in Madagascar", AFP added.
"There is a power vacuum. The solution is not revenge, neither confusion, but a peaceful, inclusive and responsible transition," Ravalomanana is quoted as saying.
He lost power to Rajoelina following a coup in 2009.
Away from the political drama in the capital, employees of state-owned utility company, Jirama, are demanding their CEO resign.
Workers in city of Toliana filmed themselves reading the statement, dressed in orange high-vis jackets.
Jirama played a key role in the political crisis facing President Rajoelina - the protesters began railing against him because they were unhappy with daily, hours-long water and power cuts.
The demonstrations then escalated to express anger over issues such as corruption and the high cost of living, leading to calls for his resignation.
The protesters are not letting up - they are back on the streets of Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo, demanding President Rajoelina quits.
Civil servants and trade unionists are among the crowds, news agency AFP says.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Sammy Awami
Reporting from Antananarivo
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesSoldiers have thrown their weight behind protesters demanding the president's resignation
A powerful military unit in Madagascar has dismissed President Andry Rajoelina's claim that they intended to harm him.
Col Randrianirina Michael of the CAPSAT unit told the BBC the allegations were baseless, saying the army had never had any intention to harm "even a single hair on his head".
In a live broadcast to the nation on Facebook, Rajoelina, 51, said "a group of military personnel and politicians planned to assassinate me", forcing him to go into hiding.
Mass protests began in Madagascar on 25 September over anger with repeated water and power cuts, then escalated to reflect wider dissatisfaction with Rajoelina's government over high unemployment, corruption and the cost-of-living crisis.
On Saturday, soldiers from CAPSAT left their barracks, and joined protesters, posing a major challenge to Rajoelina's power.
He responded by saying there was an attempt to seize power illegally in Madagascar.
Rajoelina has not been seen in public since last week, with unconfirmed reports saying he has fled the country.
The African Union says soldiers must "refrain from meddling" in Madagascar's political affairs and warns that it "totally rejects any attempt at unconstitutional changes of government".
Watching events unfolding in Madagascar with "deep concern", the pan-African body's Peace and Security Council said it held an emergency meeting on Monday.
Madasgacar's embattled president says he is in hiding in a "safe place", and has issued a decree to dissolve the national assembly to block attempts to impeach him.
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesAndry Rajoelina is seen voting in the 2018 election
Andry Rajoelina is an entrepreneur and former DJ who has been in and out of office in Madagascar since 2009.
He gained power that year by ousting then-President Marc Ravalomanana in a coup backed by the army. At the age of 34, Rajoelina earned the title of Africa's youngest leader, going on to govern for four years, then returning to power again after the 2018 election.
As well as being a former DJ, Rajoelina also ran a number of businesses before he entered politics.
In 2007 he was elected mayor of Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital.
Rajoelina had gained popularity swiftly, thanks in part to his energy and slick campaigning style.
Rajoelina was voted back into office in 2018 and re-elected in 2023 in contested polls boycotted by the opposition.
But his sharp-suited, baby-faced appeal soon waned, as allegations of cronyism and entrenched corruption became unshakeable.
Image source, ReutersRajoelina has been in office since 2018
Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina appears to be in a defiant mood, refusing to go without a fight.
This is despite the fact that power appears to have shifted away from him, with an elite military unit throwing its weight behind the youth-led protest movement, Gen Z Mada, demanding his resignation.
The unit known as CAPSAT announced on Sunday that it had taken control off all armed forces, and a new military head had been appointed.
The opposition has also thrown its weight behind the protest movement, saying it will institute impeachment proceedings against Rajoelina in parliament.
Rajoelina has now hit back, issuing a decree to dissolve parliament, but the opposition says it is invalid
So, it is unclear how the stand-off will be resolved.
Air France says it is extending the suspension of flights to Madagascar at least until Friday, AFP news agency is reporting.
"The resumption of operations will remain subject to a daily assessment of the situation on the ground," the French national airline told AFP.
At the weekend, the airline said the suspension would last for two days.
Shortly after announcing he was dissolving the national assembly, President Rajoelina shares that he has made an addition to his political entourage.
Lova Tahina Rajaoarinelina has been appointed as a special advisor to the president and is in charge of "relations with institutions".
Ms Rajaoarinelina has previously been an adviser to the speaker of the national assembly.
The leader of the opposition in parliament has said President Andry Rajoelina's decree to dissolve the national assembly - the lower house of parliament - is "not legally valid", Reuters news agency is reporting.
"This decree is not legally valid... the president of the national assembly says he was not consulted," Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko is quoted as saying.
A lot has happened over the past few days in Madagascar - here's a quick recap:
Image source, ReutersPresident Rajoelina, 51, is fighting for his political survival
We are resuming our live coverage of the crisis in Madagascar amid fears of a coup attempt.
Moments ago, Madagascar's embattled President Andry Rajoelina said he has dissolved the national assembly - the lower house of parliament - with immediate effect.
This came after the opposition said it would start impeachment proceedings against him in parliament for "abandonment of post".
Rajoelina had earlier said in a live broadcast to the nation on Facebook that he was forced to shelter in a "safe place" after an attempt on his life, following weeks of protests calling for him to quit.
He did not confirm reports that he had fled Madagascar on a French military aircraft.
A powerful military unit has thrown its weight behind protesters demanding his resignation.
On Sunday, Rajoelina said there was an attempt to seize power illegally.
We're pausing our live coverage of the political crisis unfolding in Madagascar amid fears of a coup attempt.
Here are the key developments:
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 ImagesProtesters in Madagascar are waiting for Rajoelina to speak, with one student telling the AFP news agency that he hopes the president "will apologise and genuinely announce his resignation".
"Afterwards, we can consider organising elections and determine who will be suitable to take the leadership role," Finaritra Manitra Andrianamelasoa, 24, added.
Steven Rasolonjanahary,19, said: "We already expect him to offer his apologies to all Malagasy citizens, as we have had many casualties, relatives, who have been injured during the protests."
UN human rights chief Volker Türk previously said at least 22 people were killed and 100 others injured.
Rajoelina disputed the figure, putting the death toll at 12 and "all of these individuals were looters and vandals".