Madagascar prosecutor says 13 charged in attempted coup, assassination plot against interim president

Authorities in Madagascar have charged 13 individuals in connection with an attempted coup and assassination plot targeting the country’s interim president, a public prosecutor announced Thursday.

Public Prosecutor Narindra Navalona Rakotoniaina said 11 of the accused have been detained, while two remain wanted by law enforcement.

During searches linked to the investigation, authorities seized “significant sums of money and numerous weapons,” according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office.

The attempted coup represents the latest political upheaval to hit the Indian Ocean island nation, where interim President Col. Michael Radrianirina himself seized power in a military takeover just six months ago.

Radrianirina, who leads the elite CAPSAT army unit (Corps d’Administration des Personnels et des Services Administratifs et Techniques), forced former president Andry Rajoelina to flee the country in October 2025.

Rajoelina’s government had been plagued by severe power and water shortages, as well as widespread corruption, which triggered large-scale anti-government protests and created an opening for the military intervention.