The territorial integrity and unity of the Comoro Islands as nation state is being undermined by a secessionist crisis in the island of Anjouan despite a peace accord signed earlier this year. In an address to the UN General Assembly at the weekend, Souef Mohamed El-Amine, foreign minister of the Indian Ocean archipelago, said his government could not accept the secession or independence for Anjouan because it would result in the breakup of the country. “Three inter-island conferences have been held under the auspices of the Organisation of African Unity and the Arab League to try and resolve this crisis,” he said. “At the last conference in Antananarivo, Madagascar, an accord was reached providing for a new institutional framework which would respond to the aspirations of all Comorans, while guaranteeing both territorial integrity as well as a wide degree of autonomy for each island.” But, he said the “intransigence” of Anjouan representatives who were still to sign the accord had since led to anti-Anjouanese riots by “extremists” in the main island of Grande Comore. “The risk of a civil war, of popular discontent and the violent and forced separation of families have led the Army of National Development, because of the political inertia over there, to interpose themselves, prevent the worst and take in hand the destiny of the country,” he said. The foreign minister said the government remained determined to implement the OAU-mediated Antananarivo agreement. It provides for greater autonomy to the two smaller islands of Anjouan and Moheli, and the introduction of a three-year rotating presidency between the three islands within a federal structure. “The decisive stage has now been reached to implement the already published election calendar. It provides, among other things, for a popular constitutional referendum, local, parliamentary and presidential elections,” he said. The island of Mayotte had long since broken away, and the “amputation” of Anjouan would be even more threatening to national unity, the foreign minister said. In Addis Ababa, the OAU said this week it would dispatch a special representative to the Comoro Islands to ensure that all sides exercise restraint. In a statement, it called on the Anjouanese to to sign the accord “without delay”.
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