November 4, 2001	Sunday	Shaba’an 17, 1422

MORONI, Nov 3: Soldiers staged a bloodless coup in the breakaway Comoran island of Anjouan to reinstate former military ruler Colonel Said Abeid, but the government was moving to crush the takeover, diplomatic sources said on Saturday.

Troops loyal to Anjouan’s President Mohamed Bacar were planning an operation to overpower the separatist coup plotters, but there were no reports of any casualties, the sources said.

“They are resisting, and from what I gather, they may be getting back into control,” a diplomatic source said from Moroni, the Comoran national capital on the federation’s main island of Grande Comore.

Soldiers loyal to Abeid, who was ousted as ruler of Anjouan in August, seized the radio station late on Friday and announced they had reinstated him as president of the Indian Ocean island.

Abeid broadcast a statement on the radio saying he had assumed control of the government and appealed for troops to return to their barracks.

“I have returned after several calls from my countrymen,” Abeid said. “The country is in danger, it must be saved, and I have sworn to loyally serve my country, Anjouan.”

Abeid pledged to defend the interests of Anjouan, which he said were threatened by a drive to reunite the island with the rest of the archipelago.

Troops loyal to Bacar quashed a day-old coup attempt on Anjouan in September by an army captain and a mutiny by soldiers loyal to Abeid in late August.

There was no official comment from Bacar’s supporters or the government of President Colonel Azaly Assoumani on Grande Comore.

REUNIFICATION DRIVE: Bacar embraced efforts to reunite the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros, split in 1997 when Anjouan seceded unilaterally from the federation of the chain of tiny volcanic islands off the east coast of Africa.

Opposition politicians on Grande Comore condemned the coup bid, saying it would hinder reunification efforts for the islands, which have a population of about 700,000.

Leaders of the process hoped reunification will help end a cycle of coups and counter-coups that have plagued the islands since independence from France in 1975 including several involving notorious French mercenary Bob Denard.

“Colonel Said Abeid was wrong to stage a coup,” said Houmed Msaidie, spokesman for a group of national opposition parties. “If he was ousted from power, it was because he was accused of political machinations aiming to delay the process of national reconciliation, embezzling money and violating human rights.”

Diplomatic sources said the coup was mounted to block a referendum due to be held across the archipelago on December 23. The referendum would decide on a new constitution intended to reunite the federation but grant each island greater autonomy.

Under the planned constitution, a government of “national unity” will be formed with representatives of each of the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli.

At the time of Anjouan’s secession, leaders said they were unhappy with political and economic dominance by Grande Comore, but secession has delivered few economic benefits.

PREVIOUS COUP QUASHED: Troops loyal to Bacar quashed a day-old coup attempt on Anjouan in September by an army captain and a mutiny by soldiers loyal to Abeid in late August.

Bacar embraced efforts to reunite the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros, split in 1997 when Anjouan seceded unilaterally.

Opposition politicians on Grande Comore condemned the coup bid.

Leaders of the process hoped reunification will help end a cycle of coups and counter-coups that have plagued the islands since independence from France in 1975, including several involving French mercenary Bob Denard.

“Colonel Said Abeid was wrong to stage a coup,” said Houmed Msaidie, spokesman for a group of national opposition parties. “If he was ousted from power, it was because he was accused of political machinations aiming to delay the process of national reconciliation, embezzling money and violating human rights.”—Reuters