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The Union of Comoros (formerly, the Islamic Federal Republic of Comoros) has not yet acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. However, government officials have informally told Landmine Monitor that the political will exists to do so as soon as possible, and when the situation in the archipelago stabilizes.[1] A new political system is in place and in May 2002, a newly elected national President formed a new government for the Union of Comoros as part of a devolution process.[2] According to a Foreign Affairs spokesperson, these constitutional changes mean that Comoros is in a better position to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty.[3]
On 29 November 2001, Comoros voted in favor of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 56/24M, calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. Comoros did not attend the Third Meeting of States Parties in Managua, Nicaragua in September 2001, but for the first time participated in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva, in both January and May 2002.
Comoros is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and did not attend the CCW meetings in Geneva in December 2001.
A number of coups and attempted coups have occurred in the Comoros since independence from France in 1975. Despite this history, there is no evidence that antipersonnel mines have ever been used in these conflicts.[4] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Landmine Monitor in 2001 that Comoros has not produced, imported, exported, or stockpiled antipersonnel mines; Comoros is not mine-affected and there have been no landmine casualties.[5]
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[1] Interview with Foreign Affairs spokesperson, during Standing Committee meetings, Geneva, 30 January 2002.
[2] Under the new system, the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli govern most of their own affairs, with their own federal presidents. The Fomboni All-Part Framework Agreement was devised to implement the transitional processes in returning the Comoros to constitutional rule and restoring the territorial integrity of the country.
[3] Interview with Foreign Affairs spokesperson, during intersessional Standing Committee meetings, Geneva, 29 May 2002.
[4] See previous editions of Landmine Monitor Report. On 20 December 2001, the OAU Military Observer Mission was deployed to supervise arms collection in Anjouan as part of the Fomboni All-Part Framework Agreement and it appears that no antipersonnel mines were identified during this process. Organization of African Unity, “Report of the Secretary-General on the Deployment of an OAU Military Observer Mission to the Comoros within the Framework of the Strengthening of Security during the Period of Elections,” Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 28 February 2002.
[5] Interview with a diplomatic source, Moroni, 13 April 2001; telephone interview with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, 11 April 2001.
