Declaration
First Anjouan secession, 1997
Anjouan unilaterally declared independence, later reinforced by a disputed referendum, before federal troops sent to suppress it were routed.
What happened
On 3 August 1997, Anjouan declared independence; an October 1997 unmonitored referendum recorded over 99% support, though it was not internationally recognized.[1]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: On 3 August 1997, Anjouan unilaterally declared itself the independent State of Anjouan under President Foundi Abdallah Ibrahim, amid long-standing grievances over perceived neglect and unequal resource distribution by the central Comorian government in Moroni; an October 1997 referendum, not monitored by international observers, recorded over 99% support for independence but was not internationally recognized and was rejected by the Comorian government. Comorian federal troops sent to suppress the secession were routed. This bundle does not narrate the military engagements of this period in detail.
- State of Anjouan (Wikipedia) link, Declaration and referendum sections. Source record