Former Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has launched a diplomatic charm offensive in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for support as he seeks a path back to office following his removal in what regional leaders describe as an unconstitutional takeover.
Rajoelina met King Mswati III in Eswatini at the weekend, briefing the Eswatini monarch – who serves as deputy chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation – on the events that led to his ouster.
The meeting marked the former president’s most visible attempt yet to rally regional backing after fleeing Madagascar in October 2025.
His removal followed weeks of protests in Antananarivo and a subsequent takeover by CAPSAT, an elite military unit that encouraged broader military defections and seized control of the capital with little resistance.
The intervention forced Rajoelina from power less than two years after he won the December 2023 presidential election, which international observers widely deemed free and fair.
In a communiqué delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, King Mswati III expressed “deep concern” over the military-led change of government, warning that the developments undermine constitutional governance and violate SADC, African Union and United Nations norms.
“His Majesty provided President Rajoelina with this opportunity, allowing him to explain the situation so that an informed decision could be made,” the communiqué said.
Dladla said the king had consulted the SADC Organ and the regional chairperson before meeting Rajoelina in line with protocol requiring that any leader removed unconstitutionally be given an opportunity to present their case.
Mswati urged Madagascar’s law‑enforcement agencies to restore constitutional order immediately.
The king also referenced the international “Silencing the Guns” agenda, saying the crisis in Madagascar runs counter to continental efforts to curb political instability and military interference in governance.
JN/APA