| Union of the Comoros Udzima wa Komori Union des Comores جمهورية القمر المتحدة Jamhuriyat al-Qumur al-Muttaḥida | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
.svg) | |
| Capital and largest city | Moroni |
| Demonym(s) | Comorian |
| Government | Federal presidential republic |
• President | Azali Assoumani |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,235 km² |
| Population | |
• 2019 estimate | 850,886 |
Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an island country off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. It is a former French colony, and the island of Mayotte also in the Comoros archipelago remains a French territory.
History
Native Population
Comoros was first populated by migrants from East Africa.[1]
Arab rule
In the 15th century Arabs occupied the islands, and brought Islam with them.[1]
French rule
In 1975 Comoros declared independence from France.[2]
Independence
When independence was declared, the Comoros lost the island of Mayotte due to a 1974 referendum in which two-thirds of the people of Mayotte voted to remain under French Imperialism. The socialist Comorian government of Ali Soilih, claimed the restitution of Mayotte, and France responded by facilitating a coup d'état led by Bod Denard, which then executed Ali Soilih.
The new regime installed in the Comoros transformed the capital, Moroni, into a hub helping the circumvention of sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa.[2]
21st Century
Mayotte Crisis
In 2023 France launched Operation Wuambush, an operation to destroy the communities of Comorian immigrants living on Mayotte, and expel them back to Comoros. These unregistered immigrants are so numerous that they could make up up to half of Mayotte's total population, and Comoros refuses to accept their forced return.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gilbert Mercier (2023-05-03). "Mayotte Crisis: Putrid Leftover of France’s Imperialist and Colonialist Scrooge?" Black Agenda Report.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Initiative Communiste (2023-04-26). "Wuambushu, An Ignoble and Disgusting Propaganda Operation Under the Sun of Mayotte" Black Agenda Report.