Mercenaries in Comoros Are French Nationals, Says Comoran PM

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 21, 2001

Mercenaries in Comoros Are French Nationals, Says Comoran PM

The nine mercenaries killed or arrested Wednesday on the Comoros island of Moheli are all French nationals working for Comorans behind to seize power in the country, Prime Minister of Comoros Hamada Madi Bolero said Thursday.

"The five killed are all identified Frenchmen and the four arrested have also recognized themselves as French nationals," Bolero told Agence France-Presse.

"Their action is backed by Comorans, former ministers and former military leaders in particular, of whom one was arrested yesterday and others cited by him are now under investigation," he said.

A commando of 13 men landed on and took control of Moheli -- one of the three islands of Comoros -- at dawn on Wednesday before government forces defeated them hours later, said Bolero.

Witnesses put the number of the armed men at about 100 and said they claimed to be a contingent of the United States anti- terrorist force while speaking French "without an accent".

The western Indian archipelago of Comoros with an overwhelmingly Muslim population has experienced more than 20 coups since independence from France in 1975.

Colonel Azaly Assoumani, military strongman now in control of the country, came into power in April 1999 during a coup in the capital city of Moroni. He vowed that the country will return to civilian rule next year after new institutions of government have been set up following a referendum.

Comoran Govt. Regains Control of Moheli