Comoros Army Stages Bloodless Coup in Tiny, 3-Island Republic Off Africa

The army Friday took over the tiny republic of Comoros in a bloodless coup that it called an effort to keep the three-island nation off Africa’s coast from slipping into anarchy after peace talks failed.

An army spokesman, Lt. Rashidi Abdullah, said the government of acting President Tadjiddine Ben Said Massounde had been overthrown and that he and other government officials had been asked to remain in their homes. The constitution was suspended, and all political activity and public gatherings were banned.

“The army has taken over to prevent our country from being plunged into chaos. We cannot sit and wait for it to collapse,” the army’s chief of staff, Col. Assoumani Azzali, declared on Radio Comoros.

The country has been riven by efforts by the island of Anjouan to secede. Anjouan tried unsuccessfully to reunite with its former colonial ruler, France, then declared independence.

Disgruntled residents of the island claimed they were being cut off from revenues brought in by the export of cloves, vanilla and flowers for perfume.

The government of former President Mohammed Taki Abdulkarim sent in troops to put down the secession, but they failed. Thousands of Anjouan residents have fled to the main island of Grande Comore since fighting broke out.

A peace conference held in Madagascar to resolve the conflict ended last week with little progress.