The situation in Madagascar escalated on Tuesday as the army announced it was taking control of the country, dissolving most governing institutions except for the lower house of Parliament. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who led a mutiny of an elite army unit over the weekend, said the military would run the country alongside a transitional government for up to two years while elections are arranged. President Andry Rajoelina’s whereabouts remain unclear; he is reportedly in hiding and may have left the country. He has refused to resign despite growing calls for his exit following weeks of protests, which began as a youth-led outcry over water and power utilities before evolving into a broader rejection of his leadership.