Comoros
Preparations for civil war in Anjouan

afrol.com, 12 February - Documents from the troubled island of Anjouan that have reached afrol.com speak about how there are made preparations for a civil war on the island state that has seceded from Comoros. Self-styled president, lieutenant-colonel Saïd Abeid, whose mandate expired 31 December 2000, meets popular resistance after he apparently offered to sacrifice the island's independence.

- Abeid has betrayed our cause, the 'Separatist Cheikh' Ba Goulam says in a statement sent to afrol.com. The opposition leader sees the killing of a citizen in the 6 February demonstrations by Abeid's private army as a provocation. "I hereby make an oath that the Anjouanese population will triumph," Ba Goulam says.

Anjouan island succeeded in achieving independence from Comoros in 1997, although not recognised by any state. On 26 August 2000, the Comoros government signed the joint declaration of Fomboni with the Anjouanese separatists, calling for a looser "New Comoran Grouping " and a referendum about the constitution. 

The Fomboni declaration has not been recognised by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) for not preserving the "territorial integrity of Comoros" - leading to an OAU-sanctioned embargo and threats of an invasion. Meanwhile, there has been a growing opposition to the declaration in Gran Comoro.

Since December 2000, the OAU has led a new initiative to find alternatives to the Fomboni declaration under its mediator Jose Francisco Madeira. Anjouanese President Abeid and the head of the military government in the Comoros islands, Colonel Azali Assoumani, agreed to talks with Madeira.

On 4 February, Jose Madeira stated on Radio France International that "the Anjouanese are favourable to a Comoran federation" after having had talks with Abeid. This immediately provoked protests on Anjouan, including an occupation of the Ouani airport, which succeeded in preventing the arrival of mediator Madeira to Anjouan. 

 

The risings of 5-6 February In the night from 5 to 6 February, barricades were drawn up in several localities of the island of Anjouan by protesters against President Abeid's concessions to the OAU. There were protest activities in Mirontsy, Ouani, Patsy, Bazimini, Tsémbéhou and Domoni. The track of Ouani airport was strewn with gravels to prevent that a plane transporting an OAU delegation from landing. - Resistance to the soldiers of Abeid was hardest in Ouani, the Anjouanese opposition states. "The soldiers had to use their weapons and fire to disperse the demonstrators." All the night one could hear the cracklings of Kalachnikovs. Demonstrators were removed by the private army of president Abeid. A 40-year-old man, Mohamed Abdallah Oili, was allegedly tortured to death by the presidential troops and his body thrown away in the outskirts of town.  The demonstrators demanded an explication by president Abeid to the reports from Radio France International that he had agreed to a Comoran federation. "We have been misled by Abeid" were the main paroles.

In the night from 5 to 6 February, Anjouan police fired at the demonstrators at Ouani airport. The shots killed a 40-year-old man, father of eight children, employee at the Professional Technical training school of Ouani, Mr. Mohamed Abdallah Oili. Mr Oili reportedly did not belong to the demonstrators. There are differing reports on his cause of death, but the opposition maintains he was tortured to death. 

The Anjouanese opposition to president Abeid has grown since he in October 2000 dissolved the local Parliament, a decision his own advisers found "particularly regrettable". Abeid's mandate as transition president expired at year's end, but Abeid has not been willing to organise elections on the island, resulting in a polarisation on the island.

A growing part of the Anjouanese population is giving up on the idea of independence, as the experiment has been too costly so far. The OAU embargo has included both food and medicines, thus contributing to both hunger and a cholera epidemic last year. Further, the coup d'état by president Abeid has demonstrated that the political situation with independence not is more favourable than within the Comoros. Opposition to the repeated military dictatorships and economic mismanagement in Comoros were originally cited as the main reasons for Anjouanese independence. 

The strongest opposition to Abeid, however, is not from those opposed to independence. For most Anjouanese, the struggle for independence has been too harsh to give away the possibilities now in sight. Abeid's willingness to discuss a Comoran federation has cost him the goodwill from the majority of the population and local politicians. His closest former advisers have changed sides and now cry for the removal of Abeid - forceful if necessary.

The new militant opposition Popular Anjouanese Movement (PAM), including several former advisors of president Abeid, calls for actions against the island's leader, which they blame for "doubtful economic practices" and "political treason" in a recent statement. 

- Lieutenant-colonel Saïd Abeid, whose mandate expired 31 December 2000, is maintaining his power thanks to the introduction of a military dictatorship, being based on the Section of Fast Intervention (SIR), which was created by himself two years ago, the movement states. The SIR was established to ensure peace and security, but "was diverted from its mission. It grew from 30 to 150 men and became in fact an instrument of repression and execution of shady operations in the interest of Abeid."

It were the SIR forces killing Mr Oili on Ouani airport on 5 February, making the opposition questioning from where president Abeid's private army became its "licence to kill". An informant on Anjouan told afrol.com that the incident has been seen as the possible start of a civil war in Anjouan. 

Ba Goulam, the opposition leader who is referred to as the 'Separatist Cheikh', stated, "Abeid has betrayed our cause. He transformed our country into a hell that everyone is fleeing." He reminds "Saïd Abeid is not any more the legal head of state in Anjouan since 1 January 2001."

- How many Anjouanese die each day in the waters off Anjouan while seeking better living conditions in [the French administered neighbour island of] Mayotte? Ba Goulam asks. "But it is possible to create this living conditions on our own premises. Abeid however does not want that." 

Ba Goulam speaks about martyrs. Martyrs in the fight for independence and, increasingly, martyrs in the fight against President Abeid. To him, Abeid is "an assassin who did not hesitate to sacrifice the higher interests of Anjouan for his personal enrichment."

Sources: Based on information from the Anjouanese opposition and afrol archives

© afrol.com. Texts and graphics may be reproduced freely, under the condition that their origin is clearly referred to, see Conditions.    You can contact us at mail@afrol.com