COMORAN PRESIDENT SEEKS U.S. ASSISTANCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANTANANARIVO 000431

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

ADDIS FOR USAU AMBASSADOR COURVILLE
DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/FO
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PBTS MASS ASEC CASC CN
SUBJECT: COMORAN PRESIDENT SEEKS U.S. ASSISTANCE

REF: ANTANANARIVO 425 AND PREVIOUS


1. Post received the following letter to President George W.
Bush from His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi,
the President of the Union of the Comoros, via facsimile on
May 2, 2314 local time. A copy of the letter is being faxed
and emailed to AF/E Desk Officer Maria Beyzerov.


2. BEGIN TEXT:

UNION OF THE COMOROS
Unity-Solidarity-Development
--------------

The President
Moroni, May 2, 2007
No. 07-144/PR

UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

Excellency Mr. President,

The Autonomous Island of Anjouan is currently in a
particularly tragic situation which is likely to jeopardize
the unity and the integrity of the country.

Indeed, the representations of the Union of the Comoros in
the Island of Anjouan and most particularly the Presidency of
the Union and the private residence of the Union President,
in which are currently staying the First Lady of the country
and her children have been assaulted since early this
afternoon.

The Militia of the former Head of the Executive of Anjouan,
Colonel Mohamed Bacar, equipped with heavy weapons, is
currently bombarding Mutsamudu, the capital of the Island of
Anjouan, thus sowing terror within the population.

These tragic events are the conclusion of the unhappy
maneuvers that the former Executive of the Island Mohamed
Bacar continues to orchestrate and I had the opportunity to
inform the International Community accredited in my country a
few days ago.

Indeed, the Constitutional Court of the Comoros which has
established the expiration of the mandate of the Executive of
the Autonomous Island of Anjouan, Colonel Mohamed Bacar last
April 14, 2007, requested the President of the Union of the
Comoros, in his capacity as Arbitrator and Moderator of the
regular functioning of the institutions, to take the
necessary measures to ensure the continuity of national life
and the activity of the institutional public powers.

In this way, I have designated Mr. Houmadi Kaambi legitimate
President of the Assembly of the Autonomous Island to
temporarily carry out the functions of President of the
Island pending the election of the Executive of the Island.

However, Colonel Bacar continues to challenge the
Constitution and the laws of the Island by refusing to leave
power and by continuing to encourage acts of provocation
against the Union authorities.

As a consequence, the Autonomous Island of Anjouan is
currently under siege and the population lives under terror
under the rockets and shells that the militia of Colonel
Mohamed Bacar is firing.

It is in this particularly difficult context that I turn,
once again, to Your Excellency to request you to kindly join
the Comoran Government, to strongly condemn these tragic
events, the sole objectives of which are to undermine the
unity of the country, by preventing the conduct of the
presidential elections scheduled to take place next June 10th
and 24th, in transparency and democracy.

I request, by the same occasion, the assistance of your
brotherly country in view of allowing the Union Government to
put an end to this escalation of violence in the Island of
Anjouan, at the earliest possible opportunity, a violence

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without legal justification, which will not only result in
irreparable casualties and material damage but which will
also serve as an inspiration to wrongdoers in the other
sister islands, thus putting the country in chaos.

Civil peace and the stability of the country are highly
threatened Excellency, as well as the process for national
reconciliation for which the International Community and the
Comoran people have fought for years.

With the great hope that you will give a special and urgent
attention to this request, please accept, Excellency Mr.
President, the assurance of my highest and brotherly
consideration.

AHMED ABDALLAH MOHAMED SAMBI

END TEXT.


3. COMMENT: Post notes that President Sambi's description of
the Comoran predicament tracks closely with our own
assessment of the situation (reftel). Post will report any
updates on the current situation in Anjouan as events
warrant. END COMMENT.

McGEE