Historical independence

History of Anjouan separatist episodes

From the 1997 declaration and 2001 Fomboni Agreement to the 2007-2008 renewed secession and intervention.

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1997-2001: first secession and resolution

Anjouan declared independence on 3 August 1997, reinforced by a disputed referendum; the February 2001 Fomboni Agreement resolved the crisis.[1][2]

· Declaration

First Anjouan secession, 1997

Anjouan unilaterally declared independence, later reinforced by a disputed referendum, before federal troops sent to suppress it were routed.

· Agreement

Fomboni Agreement, 2001

A negotiated settlement re-established Comorian institutions with a rotating presidency and island autonomy.

2007-2008: renewed secession and intervention

Mohamed Bacar declared renewed independence in July 2007; a February 2008 Comorian-led intervention ended the secession.[3]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 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
  2. 2.

    Claim: In February 2001, Comorian government and Anjouan representatives signed the Fomboni Agreement (General Agreement on National Reconciliation) at Fomboni, Mohéli, mediated by the Organisation of African Unity and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie; the agreement re-established Comorian political institutions and led to a new constitution, approved by all three islands in December 2001, establishing a rotating union presidency among the islands and granting each island, including Anjouan, its own president and legislative assembly under a framework of partial autonomy.

    • The Joint Declaration of Fomboni (PA-X Peace Agreements Database / University of Edinburgh) link, Agreement terms and mediators section. Source record
    • Anjouan Crisis (1997 - 2008) (PA-X Peace Agreements Database) link, 2001 constitutional resolution section. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: After the end of his term as Anjouan's island president under the 2001 constitutional framework, Mohamed Bacar orchestrated a coup and again declared Anjouan's independence in July 2007; in February 2008, Comorian government forces, supported by France and African Union member states, conducted a military intervention on Anjouan that forced Bacar's departure from the island and ended the renewed secession, restoring the island to the Comorian union framework. This bundle does not narrate the 2008 intervention's military details.

    • Anjouan Crisis (1997 - 2008) (PA-X Peace Agreements Database) link, 2007 renewed conflict and 2008 intervention sections. Source record

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