Comoros

Comoros has endured 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. Azali seized power. He pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union president took office in May 2002.

The Comoros is the only state to be a member of the African Union, Francophonie, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League (the only member member nation entirely within the Southern Hemisphere) and the Indian Ocean Commission.

One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of three islands that are densely populated, have inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing citizenry, and few natural resources. It is said to have the worst income inequality in the world. Roughly half of the population is illiterate and lives below the poverty line; and the low education level causes high unemployment and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. The legal system is a mixture of Islamic religious law, 1975 French civil code, and customary law.

Although the constitution technically allows freedom of religion, nearly 100% of the Comorian people are Sunni Muslim. Muslim ideals are reinforced on children at Quranic schools. Islamic fundamentalism is on the rise, and many are also involved with occult practices such as witchcraft and spirit possessions. Comoros is known as a restricted nation, (#39 on Open Doors' World Watch List), where Christians are persecuted or oppressed as a result of government policy. There is frequent social discrimination, and in some areas the practice of Christianity is expressly prohibited. There may be as few as 100-500 Comorian believers (though exact numbers are not known) and no official national churches. Only three churches exist in the entire nation, and these are strictly to be used by non-nationals.

A strong but quiet witness exists from medical and veterinary teams that have gained public respect. The Protestant-church affiliated “Groupe de Service Voluntaire” continued to operate humanitarian and development programs, as it has for nearly 20 years, with strong community ties and no government interference. There is no permanent U.S. diplomatic presence in the country. Representatives from the U.S. embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar, periodically visited the country and engaged with government officials and religious leaders on issues of tolerance and religious freedom.