Calm returns to capital of freed Comoros island

ANJOUAN – Comoros government troops, now in control of the capital of Anjouan island, freed all the prisoners from the main jail in its capital yesterday to the cheers of local residents.

African Union soldiers who had backed the government’s bid to oust a renegade colonel who had seized control of Anjouan stopped civilians reaching the airport. Sporadic gunfire could be heard in the area, but it was not clear what was going on there.Hundreds of government troops backed by AU forces on Tuesday moved into the capital, Mutsamudu, which had been held by Colonel Mohamed Bacar, claiming the presidency of the island.Bacar, who has so far eluded troops, had spoken of seeking independence for the island.Anjouan is part of the Comoros – an archipelago of three main islands 400 kilometres off Africa’s southeast coast.Each of the three main islands has a regional president under the country’s main leader, President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, who is based in Moroni on Grand Comore.Defence Chief of Staff Mohamed Dosara said by telephone from the main island of Grand Comore that his forces had taken control of the capital and that “We have met a small amount of resistance.”There was no official word on casualties, but an elderly man was seen being carried on Tuesday after he apparently was hit in the hip by a stray bullet.Two African Union soldiers also appeared to have minor injuries.South African President Thabo Mbeki criticised the operation, calling it “unfortunate.””It takes the Comoros back to the use of force to solve a problem that could have been resolved with negotiations,” he said on the South African Broadcasting Corp.television on Tuesday.”There was no need to deploy troops.”Mbeki said Bacar had written to his government with a pledge to hold elections in two months.Nampa-APSporadic gunfire could be heard in the area, but it was not clear what was going on there.Hundreds of government troops backed by AU forces on Tuesday moved into the capital, Mutsamudu, which had been held by Colonel Mohamed Bacar, claiming the presidency of the island.Bacar, who has so far eluded troops, had spoken of seeking independence for the island.Anjouan is part of the Comoros – an archipelago of three main islands 400 kilometres off Africa’s southeast coast.Each of the three main islands has a regional president under the country’s main leader, President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, who is based in Moroni on Grand Comore.Defence Chief of Staff Mohamed Dosara said by telephone from the main island of Grand Comore that his forces had taken control of the capital and that “We have met a small amount of resistance.”There was no official word on casualties, but an elderly man was seen being carried on Tuesday after he apparently was hit in the hip by a stray bullet.Two African Union soldiers also appeared to have minor injuries.South African President Thabo Mbeki criticised the operation, calling it “unfortunate.””It takes the Comoros back to the use of force to solve a problem that could have been resolved with negotiations,” he said on the South African Broadcasting Corp.television on Tuesday.”There was no need to deploy troops.”Mbeki said Bacar had written to his government with a pledge to hold elections in two months.Nampa-AP