2008 invasion of Anjouan

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2008 invasion of Anjouan
Location of Anjouan in the Comoros
Date 25 March 2008 Location Anjouan, Comoros Result Comoros / African Union victory and replacement of Anjouan's government
Belligerents
Comoros  African Union:  Sudan  Tanzania  Senegal  Libya (logistical support)  France (logistical support)[1]	Anjouan
Commanders
A.A. Sambi	Mohamed Bacar
Strength
2,000[2]	500[2]
Casualties and losses
11 civilians injured[3]

The 2008 invasion of Anjouan (code-named Operation Democracy in Comoros)^[4][5] took place on 25 March 2008 with an amphibious assault led by the Comoros, backed by African Union (AU) forces, including troops from Sudan, Tanzania, Senegal, and receiving logistical support from Libya and France. The objective of the invasion was to topple Mohamed Bacar's leadership in Anjouan, an island part of the Union of Comoros, which held local elections in defiance of the federal government and the AU.

A French analyst said the AU was hoping to win easily against Anjouan to earn some international prestige to offset the failures of its struggling peacekeeping missions in Sudan and Somalia.^[6]

Contents 1 Background 1.1 Tensions rise 1.2 Military build-up 1.3 Pre-invasion incidents 2 Invasion 3 Aftermath 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Background

[edit] Tensions rise

In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Mohéli declared their independence from the Union of Comoros^[7]. However, the islands were reunified as the Comoros again in 2002 and a new constitution mandated the election of a President of Anjouan along with presidents for the other two islands and a federal president. Mohamed Bacar, who had led the separatist government since 2001, was elected for a 5-year term as President of Anjouan. His term expired on 14 April 2007, and the President of the Assembly, Houmadi Caambi, became Acting President from 15 April to 10 May 2007.

Comorian federal troops tried unsuccessfully to take control of buildings in Anjouan and install a replacement president as mandated by a court in May 2007. Several soldiers died in those clashes.^[8] The Comoran federal government delayed the holding of an election on Anjouan due to alleged irregularities and intimidation, but Bacar nevertheless printed ballots and held an election in June, claiming a landslide victory of 90 percent.^[9]

In October 2007, the AU imposed travel sanctions on Anjouan's President Mohamed Bacar and other government officials and froze their foreign assets while calling for fresh elections. Additionally, a naval blockade of the island was implemented.^[10] In February 2008, the Comoros rejected the African Union's extended sanctions against Anjouan and instead opted for a military solution.

[edit] Military build-up

In March 2008, hundreds of Comoran government troops began assembling on Mohéli, which is closer to Anjouan than the larger island, Grande Comore. Sudan and Senegal were expected to provide a total of 750 troops, while Libya offered logistical support for the operation. In addition, 500 Tanzanian troops were due to arrive soon after.^[11][12] France, the former colonial power, has also assisted the operation by airlifting AU troops to the area.^[1]

Vows of resistance from the self-declared president of Anjouan were met with stern words from the AU envoy, saying "He will be overwhelmed...I am afraid to say that if he tries to do that, it will be the end of him physically, if necessary."^[11] In an interview with IRIN, Mohamed Bacar dismissed the threat of armed Union forces landing on Anjouan. "[National president Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi] does not know anything concerning the military, but if I had to advise him I would say that it's not the solution. The first time [1997] the army came we kicked them out. The second time [May 2007] the army came we kicked them out. That means that if they try to come a third time we will kick them out."^[9]

Anjouan promised to hold new elections in May 2008, which South African President Thabo Mbeki supported as a way to resolve the crisis. Mbeki once more tried to stop the invasion on 14 March, but the AU disregarded his proposal and the invasion went ahead.^[13]

[edit] Pre-invasion incidents

On 3 March 2008, a fuel ship supplying the Comoros Army caught fire in the port of Comoros' capital, Moroni. The cause of the fire was unknown.^[14] On 11 March, an armed incursion occurred on the islands where three members of the Anjouan Militia loyal to President Bacar were captured and taken to Mohéli for interrogation.^[12] Diplomacy continued with an intervention by South African President Thabo Mbeki who attempted to delay the planned AU invasion to the distinct displeasure of the Comorian government.ref>"Comoros anger over chopper crash", BBC News, BBC. Retrieved on 2008-03-25. </ref> It is understood that Mbeki spoke to the head of the AU, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, by phone on 14 March to stall the attack, intended to depose Mohamed Bacar.^[15]

Despite this intervention, a fishing boat with soldiers left Moheli for Anjouan on 14 March. There were conflicting statements from both sides, with Comoran and AU military sources reporting that a fishing boat carrying around fifty soldiers from the federal government of Comoros landed in southern Anjouan and attempted to capture a police station. In a later statement Comoran Chief of Staff Salim Mohamed revised the information and said a reconnaissance team of about 10 soldiers landed on 14 March in the south of Anjouan island and reached the southern town of Domoni. Two soldiers were wounded, a federal source said. "The target of the operation was the Domoni police station in Anjouan so as to free political prisoners," said the source.^[13][16]

The troops then retreated back to Mohéli and returned to Anjouan on Sunday 16 March to rescue the two wounded soldiers. According to a military source one federal soldier suffered an arm injury and another had a minor foot injury.^[17] The same sources reported that during the course of the operation "about twenty people" in Domoni died as a result of the Comoran and AU bombardment of Anjouanese positions. These facts were disputed by the Anjouan administration which insisted that one of the two Comoran soldiers who had attacked Anjouanais positions in Domoni on 15 March had in fact died and that the police station was not captured. They stated that the Comoran and AU forces had been ambushed by Anjouanais forces during the early stages of their incursion at Domoni and had been forced to withdraw from what was a hopeless situation,

"Contrary to its republican mission the National Army of Development (Comoran Army) devotes itself to taking innocent citizens as hostages whose only wrong is to be Anjouanese and not Sambist. In addition to the fishermen kidnapped at Marahare and Mromhouli, a second aggression [by] the National Army of Development dissident forces supported by the trawler provided by Iran failed. The elements of the [Anjouanese] gendarmerie retaliated in self-defense, wounding two of the gangster attackers including one lethally," Anjouan Government Spokesperson ^[18]

France's role in the crisis was brought into question when, on 19 March, a French police helicopter on an unauthorised, clandestine mission from the French-administered Comoro island of Mayotte crashed in the sea close to the city of Sima on Anjouan. Reports from officials in the Comoros said that no one was hurt in the crash. The helicopter was owned by France's Mayotte-based air and border police force.^[19] Critics allege the helicopter was involved in an attempt to bring Bacar into French exile, and that Bacar was only holding out so long because he was protected by the French.^[20]

"We don't know what it was doing. You can imagine the rumors. The government of Comoros did not allow them to come. They were not authorized ... The French said they sent other air and naval assets to pick up the crew." Lieutenant Colonel Salimou Mohamed Amiri, Comoros Government Spokesman ^[21]

The French military had already transported about 300 Tanzanian troops and 30 tons of freight to Grand Comore between 14 March and 16 March. According to reports a French diplomat said that France was ready to transport Senegalese troops as well, but had not yet done so. The diplomatic source said France remains "favorable" to dialogue but on condition that Bacar accepts the presence of African troops at the port and airport of Anjouan.^[22]

[edit] Invasion

On the morning of 24 March 2008, five boats transporting approximately 1,500 AU soldiers left the port of Fomboni, capital of the island of Mohéli.^[5] Bacar and his troops vowed to fight until the last man was left standing, with an Anjouan lieutenant stating, "We will fight until we die."^[23] Comoran helicopters dropped leaflets on Mutsamudu and across Anjouan, saying a military assault was imminent and telling locals to stay at home, a source close to the military said. "The National Development Army informs all inhabitants that it will be in Anjouan in the coming days or, more likely, the coming hours."^[6]

It was reported that the runway at Ouani Airport close to Mutsamudu was blocked with baggage trolleys and the atmosphere was tense as the island braced itself for the impending assault. Before the telephone lines were cut an Anjouan government spokesperson was quoted as saying:

"They have decided to kill but we are not afraid. We are well prepared. Our forces are ready and it's going to work!"^[24]

About 450 troops landed on the north side of the Anjouan Bay at dawn on 25 March. The first shots were heard around 5 a.m. (GMT+3) on the island, in the town of Ouani, near the airport and the presidential residence.^[25] The combined forces quickly advanced on the town of Ouani to secure the airfield. The BBC reported that the island's capital, airport, seaport and second city were all overrun by dawn to scenes of jubilation from the local population.^[26] By mid-day, the presidential palace was deserted.^[25] But other journalists reported that the invaders had "struggled to progress further under the automatic fire of Anjouan forces" and in the afternoon "clashes with heavy artillery continued to shake the town of Ouani."^[23] The army was reportedly looking for Bacar's hiding place.^[27]

“	Colonel Mohamed Bacar has been spotted in the village of Sadanpoini where he is heading without doubt for a place to flee on board a kwassa (small canoe) towards Mayotte island, it seems, according to various sources, that he is dressed as a woman	”
—Abdourahim Said Bacar, Comoran Government Spokesman[28]

After the airport was secured the invasion force apparently split where part of it headed south-west to engage Anjouanais loyalists in the capital, Mutsumudu, and the remainder headed south-east capturing the port of Bambao M'Sanga and the second city of Domoni without resistance.^[26]

Early reports indicated that the Bacar government had fled to the interior of the island and were in hiding, however later uncorroborated reports from the Comoros government on 25 March stated that Mohamed Bacar had fled the island incognito seeking exile in Mayotte.^[28] There was no comment from the Bacar government but the Comoran government spokesperson said that the invasion troops had been told to look for him and were conducting house to house searches.

"For the moment, I don't have the correct information about his whereabouts, but perhaps by the end of the day we will get some news on that" - Comorian Government Spokesperson. ^[29]

Contrary to previous reports that France was against the invasion, France gave its approval and helped to air-lift the AU troops to the island.^[1]

[edit] Aftermath

Mohamed Bacar managed to escape to Mayotte by speedboat and reports on 26 March confirmed his presence on the island and stated he had requested political asylum in France.^[30]

The Associated Press reported from Paris that France was considering the request for political asylum^[31] but Comoran leaders demanded that France should return Bacar to the Comoros,^[32] and there have been anti-French protests calling for the same.^[33] These events caused anti-French protests in the Comoros, especially in the capital Moroni.^[34]

France stated that it was treating the asylum request as quickly as possible,^[35] but, on 27 March, Bacar was moved to the French island of Réunion, where he was charged and investigated for illegally entering French territory while carrying weapons, along with 23 of his followers.^[36] The case was rejected for procedural reasons, but Bacar and the 23 others remained in custody.^[37]

By the end of March, several prominent supporters of Bacar had been arrested, including Caabi El-Yachroutu, a former Vice-President, Prime Minister and Interim President of Comoros. Three others were found in hiding near Domoni on 29 March, including Mohamed Abdou Mmadi (a former Minister of Transport 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).^[38]

On 5 April 2008, Bacar was remanded in custody.^[39] Comoran 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 cease with the removal of Bacar from power, and he praised the African leaders who had provided assistance for the invasion.^[40]

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner stressed on 8 April that France had not supported Bacar or provided him with any protection, and that it had fully supported African Union intervention.^[41]

On 18 April, Bacar, with 21 of his close guards, was released from prison and returned to house arrest at the Réunion military airbase.^[42] On 23 April, it was announced that the French Office of Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides; OFPRA) had granted asylum to two of Bacar's men and refused asylum for six of them; those whose requests were rejected were to be sent to a third country and not returned to the Comoros due to fears of persecution. OFPRA had yet to rule on the cases of Bacar or his other men.^[43]

Bacar's asylum request was rejected on 15 May 2008. Nevertheless, the French refugee office ruled that the ousted leader cannot be extradited to Comoros because of the risk of persecution. France's Secretary of State for Overseas, Yves Jégo, said France would support the Comoran government's efforts. "We will continue to act in consultation with the Comoros so that the law can be applied and Col Bacar can be tried."^[44]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• In pictures: Comoros exercise (BBC News)
• In pictures: Comoros assault (BBC News)
• Live from the Comoros (France 24)