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The
Union of the Comoros (Formerly The Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros)
(short name: Comoros) is located in Southern Africa. It is made of a group of
islands strategically stretched at the northern end of "Mozambique Channel",
about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar
and northern Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 44 15
E
Total area: 2,170 sq. km (approximately
7.6 time the size of Singapore)
Coastline:
340 km
Population: 630,400 (July 2003 est.)
630,0 (July 2003) Population growth rate: 2.96% (2003)
Age structure: 0-14
years: 43%; 15-64 years: 54%; 65 years and over: 3%
Capital: Moroni
Independence
from France: July 6, 1975
National holiday:
Independence Day: July 6
Constitution: December
23, 2001
Natural resources:
Agriculture
productions: vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas,
cassava
Industrial productions: tourism,
perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials, soft
drinks
Comoros is made up of three islands: Grande Comore, Anjouan and
Moheli with a young and rapidly increasing population as above outlined.
Comoros has the record of coups in Africa - 19 since the independence
from France in 1975 - the last one dating back to April 1999
These
repetitive coups hit hard on the country's economy and the integrity of the initial
territory of Comoros. In spite of the very few miles - 30 to 60 maximum - of sea
waters separating the several islands of the Union, no adequate transportation
links have been established between them. Consequently, the populations have not
been integrated to become "one". The awareness of Comorian citizenship
is blurred.
Each Island feels "free"; not tightly
bound to the others. Local ambitious politicians play on that "freedom"
and encourage separatism. The population of Anjouan and Moheli, which declared,
in 1997, their independence from Comoros. A subsequent attempt by the " federal"
government to force the separatists back to its ruling failed.
In 1999,
military chief Col. Azali Assoumani seized power. He managed to resolve
the secessionist crisis through dialogue with political leaders of the main islands.
He proposed a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord.
Azali's
relentless efforts to bring the islands together brought fruit and lead in December
2001, to the approval by voters of a new constitution. Presidential elections
took place in the spring of 2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its
own president and a new union president (Azali) was sworn in on 26 May 2002.
December 23, 2001 vote / Referendum granted greater autonomy to the
main islands (Anjouan, Mwali and Ngazidja). These Islands are now ruled by "self
government" regional councils led by regional presidents.
The final
round of polls held on April 25, 2004 for 18 of the 33 seats in a federal assembly
created by a devolution process aimed at bringing an end to over two decades of
political instability yields astounding defeat for the presidential party. Consequently,
Comoros' three island governments gain more power at the expense of Azali's union
government (established on July 2004).
Indeed, the Union has four governments
and a plethora of political institutions. Further, the union's presidency is set
on a rotating basis, which means a representative of one of the islands would
be - every four years - the Union's president.
The institutional crisis
dragged on for 7 years (1997-2004). During said period international "peace
brokers" - the African Union and South Africa in particular - had done their
best to help Comorians to establish institutional binding rules.
Would
these institutional changes finally bring political stability to the Union? Let
us wait and see. Azali mandate is due to end in 2006 and one will see if the rotating
arrangement to the presidency of the Union shall hold.
Would the ruling
politicians play a fair game and abide to the new institutional arrangement? If
they do not and in the contrary continue to play the dirty political fights that
led the former Federal entity to the verge of disintegrating, they may loose international
credibility.
If that happens, the economy that heavily depends on infusion
of external financial aids would drastically suffer from the lack of interest
from aid organizations and investors.
Agriculture, including
fishing, hunting, and forestry, is the leading sector of the economy. It contributes
40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports.
The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the main staple,
accounts for the bulk of imports.
The Union's budget heavily depends
on foreign grants and contributions. And imports represents more than four
times exports. (Scroll down to see figures below).
Since seizing power
in a coup (April 1999) Col. Azali Assoumani, reduced the number of public
sector employees and cut salaries of top civil servants, slashing the overall
payroll by about 24 percent. Civil service cutbacks had been a key demand of donors.
Assoumani's government is struggling to upgrade education and technical training
(neglected over years), to privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, to
improve health services, to diversify exports, to promote tourism, and to reduce
the high population growth rate.
There are two business opportunities
sectors in the Comoros: fishing and tourism. The systematic development
of sport fishing and industrial fishing (Click
here to view a business opportunity linked to the industrial farming of fish)
will undoubtedly help in increasing the revenues of the national budget.
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GNP:
US$ 141.9 million (2000); 145 million (2001) 185 million (2003)
GNP-real
growth rate:
0.5% (2000); 1% (2001) 3% (2003) 1.8 (2004)
GNP-per
capita: US$ 240
(2000); 292 (2003)
Click
here for the difference between GNP and Parity Purchasing Power
GDP-composition
by sector
-
agriculture:
40%
- industry:
4%
- services:
56%
Exports:
US$ 7.9. million
(f.o.b., 2000) 16.3 million (f.o.b., 2002 est.)
Commodities:
vanilla, ylang-ylang,
cloves, perfume oil, copra
Imports:
US$ 39.8 million (f.o.b., 2002)
Commodities:
rice and other foodstuffs,
consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment
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THE UNION OF THE COMOROS 
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