DOCSLIB.ORG

Comoros: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report | Freedom House

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Comoros: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report | Freedom House Comoros: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report | Freedom House https://freedomhouse.org/country/comoros/freedom-world/2021 A1 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Was the current head of government or other chief national authority 1.001 elected through free and fair elections? 4.004 Under the 2001 constitution, the president was directly elected for a single five-year term, with eligibility rotating among the main islands of Grande Comore (Ngazidja), Anjouan, and Mohéli. However, a new constitution, approved in a controversial 2018 referendum that was boycotted by the opposition, allows the president to run for two consecutive five-year terms, and abolished the system of rotating power among the islands. The referendum allowed President Azali Assoumani of the CRC to contest the March 2019 presidential election. The Supreme Court barred seven contestants from participating ahead of election day, including former president Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi. On election day, the 12 opposition candidates reported that some polling stations opened several hours early, with full ballot boxes. Acts of violence and intimidation were also reported in some regions. The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) initially reported that Azali won the election in the first round with 60.8 percent of the vote, while Ahamada Mahamoudou of the Juwa Party won 14.6 percent; in early April, the Supreme Court validated results stating that Azali earned 59 percent of the vote. The 12 opposition candidates immediately rejected the results. Observers from the African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the East Africa Standby Force, an AU-backed regional defense organization, said the contest was marred by irregularities. A2 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Were the current national legislative representatives elected through 2.002 free and fair elections? 4.004 The unicameral Assembly of the Union consists of 24 directly elected members who serve five-year terms. Another 9 members were previously selected by the three islands’ assemblies, but those seats were eliminated via a 2019 ordinance. The 2020 legislative elections, held in two rounds in January and February, were boycotted by the major opposition parties. Progovernment candidates won every seat; the CRC won 20, the allied Orange Party won 2, and progovernment independent candidates won the remaining 2. AU monitors who observed the January round called the contest generally peaceful, but noted a lack of public interest due to the opposition boycott. Opposition groups claimed that first-round turnout stood at 10 percent, rejecting the CENI figure of 61.5 percent. Members of the Comorian diaspora were unable to participate, with the government denying the opposition’s calls to ensure their inclusion. 1 of 4 5/18/2021, 8:33 AM Comoros: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report | Freedom House https://freedomhouse.org/country/comoros/freedom-world/2021 Score Change: The score declined from 3 to 2 because the January and February legislative elections were marred by disagreements over voter turnout and an opposition boycott, leaving Comorians effectively unable to vote for the candidates of their choice. A3 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented 2.002 impartially by the relevant election management bodies? 4.004 The CENI, while historically able to run credible elections, has faced more recent accusations of bias and corruption. The 2018 constitutional referendum, which the CENI said passed with 93 percent of the vote, was marred by an opposition boycott. Opposition groups denounced it as an unconstitutional power grab by Azali, and said Azali’s dismissal of the Constitutional Court ahead of the vote rendered it illegal. There were also allegations of voter intimidation and fraud. Later, upon facing growing dissent in the parliament, Azali dismissed the CENI’s top opposition representative. The new constitution allows the president to run for two consecutive terms, abolished the system of rotating power among the islands, abolished the three vice- presidential posts (one representing each island), and declared Sunni Islam the national religion. It also transferred the competencies of the Constitutional Court, which was considered impartial in deciding electoral matters, to a new Supreme Court chamber. B1 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or 2.002 other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system 4.004 free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? Political parties are mainly formed around specific leaders and draw on island or ethnic bases of support. In the past, parties have generally operated freely, though the government occasionally disrupted opposition parties’ activities by denying them meeting and assembly space. The authorities systematically cracked down on opposition figures who publicly criticized the 2018 constitutional referendum. That December, two dozen opposition figures received prison sentences for opposing the referendum or the president, including former vice president Djaffar Said Ahmed Hassane and Juwa secretary general Ahmed el-Barwane. El-Barwane was among 17 opposition figures pardoned by Azali in 2019. Despite those pardons, his government has maintained pressure on the opposition in the aftermath of the 2019 presidential election. Presidential candidates Achmet Said Mohamed and Soilihi Mohamed were briefly detained that March, though both were later released. Soilihi, who led a National Transitional Council (CNT) that 2 of 4 5/18/2021, 8:33 AM Comoros: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report | Freedom House https://freedomhouse.org/country/comoros/freedom-world/2021 unsuccessfully attempted to force Azali from office through civil disobedience and industrial action, agreed to refrain from further involvement after his release that April. B2 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its 1.001 support or gain power through elections? 4.004 In the past, numerous opposition parties had a realistic chance of gaining power through elections, though they were impeded by occasional government interference. Allegations of misuse of state resources by incumbents were not uncommon. However, the arrests, convictions, and harsh sentences against opposition leaders who spoke out against the 2018 constitutional referendum hampered the ability of opposition parties to compete in elections. The 2020 legislative elections, which were marred by an opposition boycott, ended with progovernment candidates winning every seat. Score Change: The score declined from 2 to 1 because progovernment candidates won every legislative seat in the January and February elections after an opposition boycott, leaving no opposition presence in the body. B3 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Are the people’s political choices free from domination by forces that 2.002 are external to the political sphere, or by political forces that employ 4.004 extrapolitical means? While individuals are generally free to exercise their political choices, the influence of Comoros’s powerful army—which cracked down on dissent during the 2018 constitutional referendum—as well as of religious authorities can place pressure on voters and candidates. The army was used to intimidate and detain opposition figures during and after the 2019 presidential campaign. Gendarmes arrested Soilihi after he announced his CNT involvement that March. Gendarmes also interrogated the spouse of presidential candidate Achmet, who served as a CNT spokesperson, that April. B4 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, racial, 2.002 religious, gender, LGBT+, and other relevant groups) have full political 4.004 rights and electoral opportunities? There are no laws preventing various segments of the population from enjoying full political rights and electoral opportunities. However, traditional attitudes discourage women from participating in politics. Only four women won legislative seats in the 2020 polls. Legal and societal discrimination against LGBT+ people makes political advocacy for LGBT+ rights difficult. 3 of 4 5/18/2021, 8:33 AM Comoros: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report | Freedom House https://freedomhouse.org/country/comoros/freedom-world/2021 C1 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative 2.002 representatives determine the policies of the government? 4.004 According to the constitution, the president decides on the policies of the state, which are executed by the government. However, irregular legislative activity hampered representative policymaking in previous years. C2 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? 1.001 4.004 There are reports of corruption at all levels, including within the judiciary, civil service, and security forces. The Azali administration dissolved the National Commission for Preventing and Fighting Corruption in 2016. In 2018, former president Sambi was arrested for corruption, embezzlement, and forgery in connection with a passport-sales scheme. A parliamentary report revealed that the scheme cost Comoros as much as $971 million. Sambi remained under house arrest at the end of 2020. C3 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts Does the government operate with openness and transparency? 1.001 4.004 Government operations are characterized by opacity. Various reform initiatives have been unsuccessful. Financial asset disclosures by public officials are not released to the public. Comoros provides no opportunities for public engagement in the budget process. 4 of 4 5/18/2021, 8:33 AM.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Vol. 22 - Comoros
    Marubeni Research Institute 2016/09/02 Sub -Saharan Report Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the focal regions of Global Challenge 2015. These reports are by Mr. Kenshi Tsunemine, an expatriate employee working in Johannesburg with a view across the region. Vol. 22 - Comoros June 10, 2016 It was well known that Marilyn Monroe wore Chanel No. 5 perfume when she went to bed. Did you know that Chanel No. 5’s essence (essential oils) comes from the flower called ylang-ylang, which is found in the African country of Comoros? Comoros is also where the so-called “living fossils”, a rare pre-historic species of fish called coelacanths, discovered in 1938 in South Africa after having thought to be extinct, are mostly found. So this time I would like to introduce the country of Comoros, fascinating like Marilyn Monroe and a little mysterious like the coelacanths. Table 1: Comoros Country Information The Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation located off the coast of East Africa east of Mozambique and northwest from Madagascar. 4 main islands make up the Comoros archipelago, Grande Comore, Moheli, Anjouan and Mayotte, with Grande Comore, Moheli, and Anjouan forming the Union of Comoros and Mayotte falling under French jurisdiction as an ‘overseas department” or region. The population of the 3 islands making up the Union of the Comoros is about 800,000, while their total land area comes to 2,236 square kilometers, about the same land size as Tokyo, which makes it quite a small country. Nominal GDP is roughly $600 million, which is second from the bottom among the 45 sub-Saharan African countries, just above Sao Tome and Principe, and its population is the 5th lowest (note 1).
    [Show full text]
  • Comoros Mission Notes
    Peacekeeping_4.qxd 1/14/07 2:29 PM Page 109 4.5 Comoros The 2006 elections in the Union of the support for a solution that preserves the coun- Comoros marked an important milestone in the try’s unity. After Anjouan separatists rejected peace process on the troubled archipelago. New an initial deal in 1999, the OAU, under South union president Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed African leadership, threatened sanctions and Sambi won 58 percent of the vote in elections, military action if the island continued to pur- described by the African Union as free and fair, sue secession. All parties eventually acceded and took over on 27 May 2006, in the islands’ to the 2001 Fomboni Accords, which provided first peaceful leadership transition since 1975. for a referendum on a new constitution in The AU Mission for Support to the Elections in advance of national elections. the Comoros (AMISEC), a short-term mission The core of the current deal is a federated devoted to the peaceful conduct of the elections, structure, giving each island substantial auton- withdrew from Comoros at the end of May, hav- omy and a turn at the presidency of the union, ing been declared a success by the AU and the which rotates every four years. Presidential Comorian government. The Comoros comprises three islands: Grande Comore (including the capital, Moroni), Anjouan, and Moheli. Following independ- ence from France in 1975, the country experi- enced some twenty coups in its first twenty- five years; meanwhile, Comoros slid ever deeper into poverty, and efforts at administra- tive centralization met with hostility, fueling calls for secession and/or a return to French rule in Anjouan and Moheli.
    [Show full text]
  • African Coups
    Annex 2b. Coups d’Etat in Africa, 1946-2004: Successful (1), Attempted (2), Plotted (3), and Alleged (4) Country Month Day Year Success Leaders Deaths Angola 10 27 1974 2 Antonio Navarro (inter alia) 0 Angola 5 27 1977 2 Cdr. Nito Alves, Jose van Dunen 200 Benin 10 28 1963 1 Gen. Christophe Soglo 999 Benin 11 29 1965 1 Congacou 0 Benin 12 17 1967 1 Alley 998 Benin 12 13 1969 1 de Souza 998 Benin 10 26 1972 1 Maj. Mathieu Kerekou 0 Benin 10 18 1975 2 Urbain Nicoue 0 Benin 1 16 1977 2 unspecified 8 Benin 3 26 1988 2 Capt. Hountoundji 0 Benin 5 1992 2 Pascal Tawes 0 Benin 11 15 1995 2 Col. Dankoro, Mr. Chidiac 1 Burkina Faso 1 3 1966 1 Lt. Col. Sangoule Lamizana 0 Burkina Faso 11 25 1980 1 Col. Saye Zerbo 0 Burkina Faso 11 7 1982 1 Maj. Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo 20 Burkina Faso 8 4 1983 1 Capt. Thomas Sankara 13 Burkina Faso 10 15 1987 1 Capt. Blaise Campaore 100 Burkina Faso 10 20 2003 4 Norbert Tiendrebeogo, Capt. Wally Diapagri 0 Burundi 10 18 1965 2 unspecified 500 Burundi 11 29 1966 1 Capt. Micombero 999 Burundi 5 1972 4 unspecified 100000 Burundi 11 1 1976 1 Lt. Col. Jean-Baptiste Bagaza 0 Burundi 9 3 1987 1 Maj. Pierre Buyoya 0 Burundi 3 4 1992 2 Bagaza? 0 Burundi 7 3 1993 2 officers loyal to Buyoya 0 Burundi 10 21 1993 2 Gen. Bikomagu, Francois Ngeze 150000 Burundi 4 25 1994 2 Tutsi paratroopers 999 Burundi 7 25 1996 1 army 6000 Burundi 4 18 2001 2 Lt.
    [Show full text]
  • Formal Name: Union of the Comoros Short Name: Comoros Adjective: Comoran Capital: Moroni Government: Republic LAS Member Since: November 20Th, 1993
    Formal Name: Union of the Comoros Short Name: Comoros Adjective: Comoran Capital: Moroni Government: Republic LAS Member since: November 20th, 1993 DEMOGRAPHICS Ethnicity Groups: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Independence Day: Oimatsaha, Sakalava July 6, 1975 Religions: Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% Total Area: Languages: Arabic (official), French (official), 2,235 km² Shikomoro Population: Life Expectancy: 63.48 years 766,865 Median Age: 19.2 years Sex Ratio: 0.94 male/female Gross Domestic Product: Literacy Rate: 75.5% $911 million Military Spending: ECONOMY NA% of GDP Labor Force: 233,500 Unemployment Rate: 20% Poverty Rate: 60% Inflation: 2.5% Exports: $19.7 million (vanilla, ylang -ylang, cloves, copra) Imports: $208.8 million (rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment) 1912 Comoros becomes a French colony 1947 Comoros given representation in the French parliament 1961 Comoros given autonomy from France 1974 3 islands vote for independence; Mayotte votes to stay with France 1975 Comoros unilaterally declares independence, with Ahmed Abdallah as President Abdallah replaced by Prince Sai Mohammed Jaffar through coup 1976 Ali Soilih takes power, pushing for a secular, socialist republic 1978 Soilih toppled, Abdallah is restored to power 1990 Said Mohamed Djohar elected President 1996 Mohamed Abdulkarim Taki elected President; drafts a constitution establishing Islam as the basis of law 1997 The islands of Anjouan and Moheli declare independence from the Comoros 1998 Tadjidine Ben Said Massounde
    [Show full text]
  • Towards a More United & Prosperous Union of Comoros
    TOWARDS A MORE UNITED & PROSPEROUS Public Disclosure Authorized UNION OF COMOROS Systematic Country Diagnostic Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS i CPIA Country Policy and Institutional Assessment CSOs Civil Society Organizations DeMPA Debt Management Performance Assessment DPO Development Policy Operation ECP Economic Citizenship Program EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EU European Union FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GNI Gross National Income HCI Human Capital Index HDI Human Development Index ICT Information and Communication Technologies IDA International Development Association IFC International Finance Corporation IMF International Monetary Fund INRAPE National Institute for Research on Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment LICs Low-income Countries MDGs Millennium Development Goals MIDA Migration for Development in Africa MSME Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises NGOs Non-profit Organizations PEFA Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability PPP Public/Private Partnerships R&D Research and Development SADC Southern African Development Community SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SOEs State-Owned Enterprises SSA Sub-Saharan Africa TFP Total Factor Productivity WDI World Development Indicators WTTC World Travel & Tourism Council ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank members of the Comoros Country Team from all Global Practices of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, as well as the many stakeholders in Comoros (government authorities, think tanks, academia, and civil society organizations, other development partners), who have contributed to the preparation of this document in a strong collaborative process (see Annex 1). We are grateful for their inputs, knowledge and advice. This report has been prepared by a team led by Carolin Geginat (Program Leader EFI, AFSC2) and Jose Luis Diaz Sanchez (Country Economist, GMTA4).
    [Show full text]
  • Comoros and the Governors of the Autonomous Islands of Ngazidja, Mohéli and Anjouan
    PA-X, Peace Agreement Access Tool (Translation © University of Edinburgh) www.peaceagreements.org AGREEMENT FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE INTERIM PHASE BETIT-SALAM JUNE 16 2010 1 PA-X, Peace Agreement Access Tool (Translation © University of Edinburgh) www.peaceagreements.org We, the President of the Union of the Comoros and the Governors of the autonomous islands of Ngazidja, Mohéli and Anjouan, - Encouraged by the will to spare no effort to promote and consolidate the process of national reconciliation, in order to tackle decisively the problems of socio-economic development in the Comoros; - Conscious of the need to continue to work for greater stability and national unity; - Mindful of the need to work in harmony to implement the constitutional reforms following the referendum of May 17, 2009; - Following the peace missions to Comoros of the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, on April 8 and 10, and June 3 and 5, 2010; - Expressing our appreciation to the international community, acting under the coordination of the African Union, consisting of Libya, South Africa, China, France/European Union (EU), the League of Arab States (LEA), the International Organisation of La Francophonie (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, OIF), and the UN System, for its support for the inter-Comorian dialogue; Decide as follows: I. Dates of elections and investitures: I.I In accordance with the timetable set out in the annex which forms an integral part of this Agreement, the primary elections in Mohéli for
    [Show full text]
  • Petroleum in Comoros Islands 2004
    PETROLEUM IN COMOROS ISLANDS 2004 1. POSSIBLE OIL RESERVES IN THE MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL The small island republic of Comoros has no oil or gas production, either onshore or offshore. Its downstream oil industry is wholly dependent on refined petroleum products imported from Tanzania and other mainland African countries. The Comoros Ministry of Planning regulates the industry. Distribution and marketing of fuels products is carried out by the state owned oil company, Societe Comorienne des Hydrocarbures (SCH), the only oil company in the Comoros. The company owns 2 products storage depots. With a population of 585,000 people and an economy based largely on fishing and tourism, its consumption of petroleum products is small. Oil-derived products supply 91.5% of the islands' commercial energy needs. In 1999 Assoumani seized power in a coup. Limited democratic progress has being made in terms of an all-party agreement signed in February 2001. The President of the Comoran Union Azali Assoumani, is at loggerheads with the three autonomous leaders, Abdout Soule Elbak of Grande Comore, Mohamed Bacar of Anjouan and Mohamed Said Fazul of Moheli, who accuse him of hogging the power and more importantly the slim pickings, mainly from customs revenues. South Africans is interested to get influence in this geopolitical zone. The Comoros still owes South Africa $50-million of a soft loan for hotel building during the apartheid era. Mired in debt, Comoros has no chance of repaying the South African loan, which constitutes half of its annual repayments to other creditors. The South African embassy closed nine years ago but there are plans to reopen a mission later this year.
    [Show full text]
  • The Executive Survey General Information and Guidelines
    The Executive Survey General Information and Guidelines Dear Country Expert, In this section, we distinguish between the head of state (HOS) and the head of government (HOG). • The Head of State (HOS) is an individual or collective body that serves as the chief public representative of the country; his or her function could be purely ceremonial. • The Head of Government (HOG) is the chief officer(s) of the executive branch of government; the HOG may also be HOS, in which case the executive survey only pertains to the HOS. • The executive survey applies to the person who effectively holds these positions in practice. • The HOS/HOG pair will always include the effective ruler of the country, even if for a period this is the commander of foreign occupying forces. • The HOS and/or HOG must rule over a significant part of the country’s territory. • The HOS and/or HOG must be a resident of the country — governments in exile are not listed. • By implication, if you are considering a semi-sovereign territory, such as a colony or an annexed territory, the HOS and/or HOG will be a person located in the territory in question, not in the capital of the colonizing/annexing country. • Only HOSs and/or HOGs who stay in power for 100 consecutive days or more will be included in the surveys. • A country may go without a HOG but there will be no period listed with only a HOG and no HOS. • If a HOG also becomes HOS (interim or full), s/he is moved to the HOS list and removed from the HOG list for the duration of their tenure.
    [Show full text]
  • Operation Carthage
    Credits For the Digital Forensic Research Lab Principal researcher and author Andy Carvin, Senior Fellow Editorial support Luiza Bandeira, Research Associate Graham Brookie, Director and Managing Editor Iain Robertson, Deputy Managing Editor Research support Nika Aleksejeva, Research Associate, Baltics Alyssa Kann, Research Assistant Kanishk Karan, Research Associate Ayushman Kaul, Research Assistant, South Asia Tessa Knight, Research Assistant, Southern Africa Jean le Roux, Research Associate, Southern Africa Roman Osadchuk, Research Assistant Esteban Ponce de Leon, Research Assistant, Latin America Cover design Kanishk Karan, Research Associate Find us online: digitalsherlocks.org facebook.com/dfrlab twitter.com/dfrlab [email protected] 1 Executive Summary A Tunisia-based company operated a sophisticated digital campaign involving multiple social media platforms and websites in an attempt to influence the country’s 2019 presidential election, as well as other recent elections in Africa. In an exclusive investigation that began in September 2019, the DFRLab uncovered dozens of online assets with connections to Tunisian digital communications firm UReputation. On June 5, 2020, after conducting its own investigation, Facebook announced it had taken down more than 900 assets affiliated with the UReputation operation, including 182 user accounts, 446 pages, and 96 groups, as well as 209 Instagram accounts. The operation also involved the publication of multiple Francophone websites, some going back more than five years. In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson said these assets were removed for violating the company’s policy against foreign interference, which is coordinated inauthentic behavior on behalf of a foreign entity. “The individuals behind this activity used fake accounts to masquerade as locals in countries they targeted, post and like their own content, drive people to off-platform sites, and manage groups and pages posing as independent news entities,” the spokesperson said.
    [Show full text]
  • A Contradictory 2019 in the Arab World
    I Ait Youssef, R Alsheikh Ali, E Comaro, E Diana, S Lavigne Delville, N Maaninou, M Pannunzio & C van der Werf ‘A contradictory 2019 in the Arab world: The heralds of a second Arab Spring in times of increased vulnerability and upgraded authoritarianism’ (2020) 4 Global Campus Human Rights Journal 230-262 http://doi.org/20.500.11825/1693 A contradictory 2019 in the Arab world: The heralds of a second Arab Spring in times of increased vulnerability and upgraded authoritarianism Iasmin Ait Youssef, Rana Alsheikh Ali, Elena Comaro, Elise Diana, Solène Lavigne Delville, Nouha Maaninou, Marta Pannunzio and Charlotte van der Werf* Abstract: During the year 2019 mass mobilisations broke out throughout the Arab region, with protestors calling for regime change and denouncing mismanagement, corruption and the lack of basic services and human rights in countries as diverse as Algeria, Sudan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. In some cases they were violently opposed and quelled; in others they brought about a transitional process. These democratic processes and authoritarian reactions were accompanied by an important case of democratic consolidation in Tunisia and peaceful transfer of power in Mauritania. Some observers saw in these movements the sparks of a second Arab Spring, while others noted an upgrading of authoritarianism, through different repression techniques against protesters, activists and civil society organisations. Security forces and tribunals have been used for repression, but so have new constitutional and legislative texts that have shifted the balance of power in favour of the executive and the military. The repression of cyberspace was extended through new technological tools that allow for the monitoring, tracking and silencing of dissenting voices.
    [Show full text]
  • Comoros Short Brief
    Comoros Short Brief I. Activity Summary: The AU in the Comoros Background The Union of the Comoros, a three-island archipelago nation located in the Indian Ocean off of Madagascar, has been chronically unstable since independence from France in 1975, suffering more than 20 coups. The state has been persistently unable to create a shared sense of national identity amongst its citizens, leaving the three islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli frequently at odds and wary of exploitation at one another’s hands. While conflict in the Comoros is endemic, it has generally been small-scale. With a few exceptions, most clashes have resulted in fewer than five deaths and a slightly larger tally of injuries. However, the security forces have generally been divided and disorganized, with six separate security forces (military and police) reporting to at least four different authorities. This disorganization has been historically encouraged by leaders trying to divide the support base for possible coups, and by the mutual distrust of the separate islands, each of whom would rather control their own forces than be subject to central authority. Many argue that these problems can be traced back to the conditions of the Comoros’ independence – France opted to retain (through a legally contested referendum process) control of the fourth island in Comoros archipelago, Mayotte, in order to maintain a strategic base in the region. Since then, Mayotte, far more prosperous than its neighbors, has drawn investment away and contributed to brain drain from the Comoros. Additionally, several of the military coups of the 80s and 90s were engineered by French mercenary Bob Denard, with, it is widely alleged, at least the tacit approval of the French government, which benefitted from the nation’s relative weakness.[i] Comorian instability was further exacerbated by the deteriorating socioeconomic conditions in the country in the 1990s.
    [Show full text]
  • Disk-. GENERAL ENGLISH ORIGINA,L
    Disk-. GENERAL ENGLISH ORIGINA,L: ENGLISH/FRENCH LETTER DATED 7 MAY 1979 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BE!\IIN TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL On instructions from my Government, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of a press release dated 4 April 1979 and an article by Jon Bradshaw concerning the French mercenary Bob Denard, alias Colonel "laurin, alias Gilbert Bourgeaud. Jon Bradshaw's article, which appeared in the 27 March 1979 issue of Esquire magazine, throws new light on the sinister career of this mercenary who led the armed aggression of Sunday, 16 January 19’77, against the People's Republic of Benin. In the context of the complaint by Benin, which is still before the Security Council, I have the honour to request that the press release, together with the article by Jon Bradshaw, be issued as a Security Council document. (Sipned)1-.- Thomas S. BOYA W-12761 s/13304, English Annex I Page 1 Annex I Press release dated 4 April 1979 of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of Benin The sinister career of a French mercenary who is on the wanted list in Africa: Gilbert Bourgeaud, alias Colonel Maurin, alias Bob Denard. On 16 January 1977, the people of Benin were the victims of an act of aggression carried out by a gang of mercenaries which was armed to the teeth and led by a French mercenary known as Colonel Maurin, alias Gilbert Bourgeaud, alias Bob Denard. The humiliating defeat of these mercenaries of international imperialism and their utter rout continue to provide numerous experts with material for analysis and research.
    [Show full text]