Invasion of Anjouan

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The invasion of Anjouan (code name Operation Democracy in Comoros ) on March 25, 2008 was an amphibious assault led by the Comoros , supported by the African Union (AU), including troops from Sudan , Tanzania , Senegal and logistical support from Libya and France . The aim of the invasion was to overthrow Colonel Mohamed Bacar's leadership in Anjouan , an island in the Union of Comoros, after he refused to step down following a controversial election in 2007, following a request from the federal government and the AU. The Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean has had an eventful history since independence from France in 1975 and has seen more than 20 coups or coup attempts.

The invasion occurred in the early morning of March 25, 2008. The main cities were quickly overrun and the island was declared under the control of the invaders on the same day. Mohamed Bacar managed to escape to Mayotte on March 26th and applied for political asylum. He was then taken into custody by the French administration and taken to the island of Réunion . On May 15, France rejected Bacar's application for asylum, but the French Refugee Office decided that the overthrown leader could not be extradited to the Comoros due to the danger of persecution.

background

The Comoros federal government delayed the Anjouan election on alleged irregularities and intimidation, but Bacar still printed ballots and held an election in June claiming a 90 percent landslide win.

Armament

In March 2008, hundreds of Comorian government troops gathered on Mohéli, which is closer to Anjouan than the larger island of Grande Comore. Sudan and Senegal provided a total of 750 soldiers, while Libya provided logistical support for the operation. In addition, 500 Tanzanian troops should arrive soon. France, the former colonial power, also supported the operation by airlifting AU troops into the area.

Anjouan promised to hold new elections in May 2008, which South African President Thabo Mbeki supported to resolve the crisis. Mbeki tried again to stop the invasion on March 14, but the AU ignored his proposal and the invasion proceeded.

Incidents before the invasion

On March 3, 2008, a Comoros Army fuel ship caught fire in the port of the capital Moroni. The cause of the fire was unknown. On March 11, an armed attack broke out on the islands, in which three members of the Anjouan militia who were loyal to President Bacar were captured and brought to Mohéli for questioning. Diplomacy continued with an intervention by South African President Thabo Mbeki, who tried to delay the planned AU invasion, much to the displeasure of the Comorian government. It is believed that Mbeki telephoned the President of the African Union, Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete, on March 14 to stop the attack and depose Mohamed Bacar. Despite this intervention, a fishing boat carrying soldiers left Moheli for Anjouan on March 14th. There were contradicting statements from both sides, with military personnel from the Comorian army and the AU reporting that a fishing boat carrying around fifty Comoros government soldiers had landed in southern Anjouan and was attempting to capture a police station. In a later statement, Comoros Chief of Staff Salim Mohamed revised the information, saying that a reconnaissance team of around 10 soldiers landed in the south of Anjouan Island on March 14 and reached the southern city of Domoni. Two soldiers were injured, a nationwide source said. "The target of the operation was the Domoni Police Station in Anjouan to free political prisoners," the source said.

The troops then withdrew to Mohéli and returned to Anjouan on Sunday March 16 to rescue the two wounded soldiers. According to a military source, one federal soldier sustained an arm injury and another suffered a minor foot injury. The same sources reported that around twenty people died in Domoni during the operation as a result of the bombing of the Anjouan positions by the Comoros and the AU. These facts have been denied by the Anjouan government, which insisted that one of the two Comorian soldiers who attacked Anjouan positions in Domoni on March 15 actually died and that the police station was not captured. They stated that the Comoros and AU troops had been ambushed by Anjouan's forces in the early stages of their invasion of Domoni and were forced to withdraw from a hopeless situation.

France's role in the crisis was questioned when a French police helicopter crashed into the sea on March 19 on an unauthorized, secret mission to the French government-administered island of Mayotte near Sima, Anjouan. Reports from officials in the Comoros said no one was injured in the crash. The helicopter belonged to the Mayotte-based French Air Force and Border Police. Critics claim the helicopter was involved in an attempt to bring Bacar into exile in France.

The French military had already transported around 300 Tanzanian troops and 30 tons of cargo to Grand Comore between March 14 and 16. A French diplomat reportedly said France was ready to move Senegalese troops as well, but has not yet done so. The diplomatic source said France remained “favorable” to the dialogue, but on the condition that Bacar would accept the presence of African troops in the port and airport of Anjouan.

invasion

On the morning of March 24, 2008, five boats carrying around 1,500 AU soldiers left the port of Fomboni, the capital of the island of Mohéli.

It was reported that the runway at Ouani Airport near Mutsamudu was blocked with baggage carts and the atmosphere was tense as the island prepared for the impending attack.

About 450 soldiers landed on the north side of Anjouan Bay at dawn on March 25. The first gunshots were heard at 5am (GMT + 3) on Ouani Island near the airport and the presidential residence. The combined forces quickly advanced on the city of Ouani to secure the airfield. The BBC reported that the island's capital, airport, seaport and second city were overrun at dawn to reveal scenes of cheers from local people. The presidential palace was deserted around noon. But other journalists reported that the invaders "fought under automatic fire from the Anjouan forces" and that afternoon "heavy artillery clashes continued to devastate the city of Ouani". According to reports, the army was looking for Bacar's hiding place.

After the airport was secured, the invading force apparently split up, where part of it went southwest to attack Anjouan's loyalists in the capital, Mutsumudu, while the rest moved southeast and the port of Bambao M'Sanga and the second city of Domoni conquered without resistance.

Early reports suggested that the Bacar government had fled inside the island and was hiding. However, later unconfirmed reports by the Comoros government on March 25 revealed that Mohamed Bacar fled incognito in Mayotte. There was no comment from the Bacar government, but the Comoros government spokesman said the invading forces had been instructed to keep an eye out for him and conduct house searches.

aftermath

Mohamed Bacar managed to flee to Mayotte by speedboat; reports dated March 26th confirmed his presence on the island and stated that he had applied for political asylum in France. The Associated Press reported from Paris that France was considering asking for political asylum, but Comoros leaders demanded that France bring Bacar back to the Comoros, and there were anti-French protests calling for the same. France said it would deal with the asylum application as soon as possible, but on March 27, Bacar was taken to the French island of Réunion, where he and 23 of his followers were charged with illegally entering French territory. The case was dismissed on procedural grounds, but Bacar and the 23 others remained in custody.

Several prominent Bacar supporters had been arrested at the end of March, including Caabi El-Yachroutu, a former vice-president, prime minister and interim president of Comoros. Three others were found near Domoni on March 29, including Mohamed Abdou Mmadi (a former transport minister and spokesman for Bacar), Ibrahim Halidi (a former prime minister and advisor to Bacar) and Ahmed Abdallah Sourette (a former president of the Constitutional Court) .

On April 5, 2008, Bacar was taken into custody. Comorian President Sambi visited Anjouan in early April, marking his first visit to the island since May 2007. He said that he hoped that separatism in Anjouan would end with the removal of Bacar from power and he praised the African leaders, who had helped with the invasion.

Contrary to previous reports that France was against the invasion, France gave its consent and helped bring AU troops to the island. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner stressed on April 8 that France had not supported Bacar or given him any protection and that it had fully supported the intervention of the African Union.

On April 18, Bacar and 21 of his followers were released from prison and returned to house arrest at the Réunion military airfield. On April 23, it was announced that the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) had granted asylum to two of Bacar's men and denied six of them; those whose applications were rejected should be sent to a third country and not return to the Comoros for fear of persecution.

Bacar's asylum application was rejected on May 15, 2008. French Secretary of State for Overseas Yves Jégo said France would support the Comorian government's efforts.

The presidential elections in Anjouan took place on June 15 and 29, 2008. Moussa Toybou won the election in the second round against Mohamed Djaanfari.

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