TOP OF FORM AGAINST THE ILLEGAL OCCUPATION
OF THE COMORIAN ISLAND OF MAYOTTE BY FRANCE.
The Comoro Islands reached their independence, after 135 years of being colonized by France. Since then, this small archipelago (less than 800.000 inhabitants on less than 2300 km2), has endured enormous suffering because of the destabilization.
94% of Comorians voted in favor of independence. Nevertheless, France used an electoral fiddling to issue a decree only recognizing independence of 3 islands (Grande Comore/Ngazidja, Anjouan/Ndzuani and Mohéli/Mwali).
This unworthy act led to the unilateral proclamation of Comoros independence, with its colonially inherited borders, on July 6, 1975. This independence has been recognized by every international organization: African Union (UA, former OAU), the Arab League and the United Nations, which accepted Comoros’ membership in the 3385 (XXX) resolution on November 12, 1975.
And yet Comoros remains cut from Mayotte, and the French state is doing its best to departmentalize Mayotte by 2010!
In Mayotte, France implemented the “Balladur visa” in 1994, which caused more than 4500 deaths on sea between Anjouan and Mayotte. This massacre will continue to get worse as long as French police checks continue to prevent Comorian people from travelling freely between their islands, and as long as the huge economic development gap between Mayotte and the other islands is artificially maintained by the neo-coloniaslist France
In Mayotte, France has installed a “satellite” tapping device since 2001, in violation of citizens’ privacy and in violation of AFRICA, Middle East and ASIA sovereignty.
In Mayotte, police officers and gendarmes hunt and humiliate Comorians from the other 3 islands (referred to as “illegal immigrants in their own country”). The island of Mayotte is even described today as a “law-free zone”!
For 31 years, France has launched destabilization missions against the young Comorian state from Mayotte, using Mayotte as a rear base for French soldiers who foment Anjouan separatism: mercenaries have launched 25 coups (successful or not).
For 31 years, civil society, anti-imperialism organizations, political altermondialists, and anticolonialist parties have denounced this Machiavellian game by a super power against one of its tiniest colony! During this time, 24 resolutions of the United Nations have condemned “the illegal occupation of the Comorian island of Mayotte”, requiring that France speed up the process that will allow the Comorian island to reintegrate the Comorian group”.
Since 2005, members of the Comorian Parliament have voted for resolutions in order for everyone to be ready when Mayotte rejoins Comoros.
We, organizations and individuals signatories of this call, are referring to international law and to Comoros constitution, which recognize Mayotte as an
- the French government, to abrogate this criminal visa, which already caused too many Comorians to die;
- the first Comoros magistrate of raise again the issue of the Comorian island of Mayotte at the General assembly of the United Nations;
- international institutions, associations, organizations and all friends of Comoros, to keep supporting the Comorian people until they regain their national sovereignty, their territorial integrity, their dignity…
- French and Comorian authorities to immediately set up a roadmap for Mayotte return to the Comorian bosom; this being a pre-requisite for any co-operation project to be considered, in a mutually respectful environment of friendship between two peoples.
