History of the Comoros (1978–2001)
Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros | |||||||||
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| 1978–2001 | |||||||||
| Anthem: Udzima wa ya Masiwa (Comorian) The Unity of the Great Islands | |||||||||
Location of the Comoros (circled) | |||||||||
| Capital | Moroni | ||||||||
| Official languages | French, Comorian, Arabic | ||||||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||||||
| Demonym | Comorian | ||||||||
| Government | Federal presidential Islamic Republic | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
• 1978 | Ahmed Abdallah and Mohamed Ahmed | ||||||||
• 1978-1989 | Ahmed Abdallah | ||||||||
• 1989-1990 | Said Mohamed Djohar (acting) | ||||||||
• 1990–1995 | Said Mohamed Djohar (first term) | ||||||||
• 1995 | Combo Ayouba | ||||||||
• 1995 | Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim and Said Ali Kemal (acting) | ||||||||
• 1995–1996 | Caabi El-Yachroutu Mohamed (interim) | ||||||||
• 1996 | Said Mohamed Djohar (second term) | ||||||||
• 1996-1998 | Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim | ||||||||
• 1998–1999 | Tadjidine Ben Said Massounde (acting) | ||||||||
• 1999–2001 | Azali Assoumani | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1978 | Abdallah Mohamed (first) | ||||||||
• 2000-2001 | Hamada Madi (last) | ||||||||
| Military Leader of the Comoros | |||||||||
• 1978–1989 | Bob Denard | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Establishment of the Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros | 23 May 1978 | ||||||||
• Constitution of the Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros becomes effective | 1 October 1978 | ||||||||
• Disestablishment of the Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros | 23 December 2001 | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | KM | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Comoros | ||||||||
| History of the Comoros |
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The Comoros is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa. France first established colonial rule in the Comoros in 1841. Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for the Comoros to become independent in 1978. On 6 July 1975, but the Comorian parliament passed a unilateral resolution declaring independence. The deputies of Mayotte, which remained under French control, abstained. Referendums on all four of the islands excluding Mayotte showed strong support for independence. Ahmed Abdallah proclaimed the Comoros' independence on 5 September 1975 and became its first president.
In 1978, president Ali Soilih, who had a firm anti-French attitude, was killed and Ahmed Abdallah came to power. Under the reign of Abdallah, Bob Denard was commander of the Presidential Guard (PG) and de facto ruler of the country, trained, supported and funded by the white regimes in South Africa (SA) and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in return to the permission to set up a secret listening station on the islands to spy on the African National Congress and the Frontline States. The Comoros was also used for evading arms sanctions.
When in 1981 François Mitterrand was elected president Denard lost the support of the French intelligence service, but he managed to strengthen the link between SA and the Comoros. Besides the Guard, Denard established his own company SOGECOM, in both the security and building business. He seemed to be pretty rich. In period 1985-87 the relationship of the PG with the local Comorians became worse.
At the end of the 1980s the South Africans did not want to continue to support a mercenary regime and France also wanted to get rid of the mercenaries. Finally, also President Abdallah wanted the mercenaries to leave. Their response was a (third) coup and the death of President Abdallah in which Denard and his men were probably involved. The SA and the French government subsequently forced Denard and his mercenaries to leave the islands in 1989.