On 14 October, Madagascar’s elite CAPSAT army unit seized control of the government after the National Assembly voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina, who has since fled and gone into hiding. The takeover follows weeks of youth-led demonstrations over poverty and shortages of essential services, which triggered divisions within the military. The armed forces have now suspended most state institutions and announced that a military-led committee will govern alongside a transitional administration for up to two years before organizing new elections. The power grab marks an unconstitutional transition, heightening political instability and the risk of renewed unrest.