|
Bacar: Don`t mess with people`s lives
2008-03-10 08:53:54
By Editor
The Union of Comoros, with a population slightly above half a million people, was formed in 2001 by three autonomous islands of Grande Comore, Moheli and Anjouan.
Earlier, Anjouan had declared independence from Comoros in 1997, but rejoined as an autonomous republic in 2002.
The Union of Comoros, formerly known as the Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros, was formed in 2001 by the three autonomous islands to maintain sovereignty in the wake of 1997 secession bids by Anjouan and Moheli.
The office tenure of Anjouan leader Colonel Mohamed Bacar expired in April 2007, but the separatist leader apparently decided to go on his own, he defied both the Union of Comores and the African Union, printed his own ballots, and as expected in such a situation, won 90 percent of the presidential vote.
Since then, the bellicose Bacar has been involved in an endless tug of war with both Comoros President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi and the African Union.
Threatened with arrest and trial for war crimes, the renegade Colonel has refused to surrender or flee, and defied calls for new elections, arranged exile and other forms of compromise.
For Tanzania, the endless instability—Comoros had 19 coups or coup attempts since independence from France in 1975—is rather worrying because the people of Comoros and Tanzania share the same language—Kiswahili, and have deep historical and cultural ties.
It is a pity that while the whole world is moving towards union of states, primordial tendencies are increasingly taking hold of island states, such that a tiny, 263-square mile rebel state is becoming a chronic headache for the African Union.
The on-going stand-off between the self-declared leader of Anjouan and President Sambi doesn’t augur well for the people of Anjouan, whose top priority is to lead peaceful lives and further the education of their children.
The international community has pledged its support for any efforts to reunify the Indian Ocean Islands, including military force, which now appears to be imminent.
The simmering Comoros conflict has now made it necessary for an AU backed military force, comprising soldiers from Sudan, Senegal and Tanzania, to intervene in the semi-autonomous island—and the clock is ticking away.
At this juncture, we call upon Colonel Bacar to heed to international calls and apply common sense before an African Union-authorised force lands on his doorstep.
We hope he understands that secession is no good thing, apart from the fact that in his case, it is totally not viable.
A negotiated end to the crisis is still possible at this hour.
There is no need to court disaster when other methods can work.
Indeed, if Bacar is so popular in Anjouan, why should he resist the having of elections under the Comoros Union umbrella?
As preparations for assault on the rebel island have been completed—and if it was only a battle of wills—then it is better for the rebels to promptly realize that the game is up so that the people should not suffer for a lost cause.
|
