Malagasy army colonel Michaël Randrianirina was sworn in as president of Madagascar on Friday and pledged "to work with all the forces involved" abroad, just days after the fall of former president Andry Rajoelina.

Mr. Randrianirina, head of CAPSAT, an army unit that mutinied and joined anti-government protesters last weekend, read the presidential oath of office during a ceremony at the High Constitutional Court in Antananarivo, the capital, AFP journalists saw.

"Today marks a historic turning point for our country. With a people in turmoil, driven by the desire for change and a deep love for their homeland, we joyfully open a new chapter in our national life," said Mr. Randrianirina during the ceremony presided over by the head of the High Constitutional Court.

In attendance were military officers, politicians, representatives of the Gen Z protest movement, and several foreign delegations, including those from the United States, the European Union, Russia, and France, the former colonial power.

"We will work hand in hand with all the vital forces of the nation to develop a beautiful Constitution of the Republic and to consult on new electoral texts on the organization of elections and referendums ," he assured, thanking the young people of Gen Z for having been at the forefront of the demonstrations which drove Andry Rajoelina from power.

"We are committed to a break with the past. Our main mission is to profoundly reform the administrative, socio-economic and political systems of governance in the country ," he added.