Madagascar revokes citizenship of ousted President Andry Rajoelina

Madagascar’s new government has officially revoked the Malagasy citizenship of ousted president Andry Rajoelina, just ten days after his removal from power in a military takeover.

According to a decree published on Friday, October 25, in the country’s official gazette and confirmed by multiple local media outlets, Rajoelina was stripped of his nationality on the grounds that he had voluntarily acquired French citizenship in 2014.

Under Madagascar’s nationality law, any citizen who obtains another country’s citizenship automatically forfeits their Malagasy nationality.

French broadcaster RFI reported that it had verified the decree with the office of the new prime minister, Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, who signed the order. Photographs of the document circulated widely online soon after its publication.

The decision effectively bars Rajoelina, 51, from running in future elections. He was impeached by parliament on October 14 after fleeing the country amid weeks of protests against his government.

Rajoelina’s dual nationality had already sparked major controversy in 2023 when it was revealed ahead of the November presidential elections, nearly a decade after he obtained French citizenship. Opposition parties argued that his foreign nationality disqualified him from holding office, but he nonetheless contested and won the disputed vote, which was boycotted by much of the opposition.

The former president fled Madagascar after Colonel Michael Randrianirina, commander of the CAPSAT army unit, publicly declared on October 11 that his troops would no longer obey orders to suppress the youth-led protest movement, which security forces had previously attempted to crush with violence.

Following his flight, Rajoelina claimed he had gone into hiding for his safety but did not disclose his location.

On October 14, Colonel Randrianirina was sworn in as Madagascar’s new president, pledging to restore stability and hold elections within two years.