The Comoros Coup Cycle
Three of the four islands voted for independence in 1974 while Mayotte voted to remain French, a division France accepted and the Comoros has never recognised. Ahmed Abdallah declared independence unilaterally in July 1975 and was removed in August by a coup involving Denard, who returned repeatedly over the following two decades — restoring Abdallah in 1978, serving as head of the Presidential Guard while South Africa and France used the islands to circumvent sanctions, and being present at Abdallah's death in 1989. Denard's final attempt in 1995 was ended by French troops. Anjouan attempted secession in 1997, resolved by African Union intervention in 2008. The constitution now rotates the presidency between the islands, an arrangement designed to contain the island rivalry that has driven much of the instability. Mayotte became a French overseas department in 2011.
- Year: 1975 CE
- Category: Political
