Comoros
UN concerned about Comoros situation

afrol News, 28 April - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday stated his grave concerns about develepments in Comoros, and espcially asked the central government and the separatist government of Anjouan to adhere to the reconciliation agreement.

In a statement issued yesterday, Annan says he had "been closely following developments in the Comoros since the signing, on 17 February 2001, of the Framework Agreement for Reconciliation." 

The UN Secretary-General says he "is concerned by the decision of the Anjouanese Party to suspend its participation in the follow-up mechanism put in place by the Agreement and calls on it to reconsider its decision." 

He also appeals to all the parties in the Comoros to adhere to all the provisions of the Agreement and to comply with its implementation timetable.

According to the UN, the Agreement represents "a unique opportunity to promote national reconciliation in the Comoros and to preserve its territorial integrity." Preserving the terrirorial integrity of the Comoros has been the principal demand of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which has imposed sanctions on Comoros after the Moroni government had accepted a plan that could have led to the independence of Anjouan.

The UN Secretary-General however commended the OAU and its partners "for the important role they played in facilitating the signing of the Agreement and the efforts they are making to ensure its implementation." On Comoros and Anjouan, the OAU on the other side has been seen as the main obstruction to reach reconciliation.

Annan says he "reiterates the readiness of the United Nations to contribute to the reconstruction of the Comoros and the promotion of its democratic institutions, including assistance for the forthcoming elections."

Sources: Based on UN sources

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