MORONI, May 26 – Comoros President Azali Assoumani took the oath of office for his fourth term on Sunday, pledging to work for peace and economic growth following a contentious January election that his opponents allege was marred by voter fraud.
Violence erupted after the election body declared Assoumani the winner with 63% of the vote, resulting in one death and at least 25 injuries. The protests highlighted the deep divisions in the archipelago nation of three islands off the coast of Mozambique, which has a history of political instability, including around 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. The nation is also a significant source of irregular migration to the nearby French island of Mayotte.
Opposition leaders have accused the government of ballot stuffing and prematurely ending voting. The government has denied these allegations.
“Disputes after elections are not unique to Comoros. I thank the Comorian people for their renewed trust; I will not disappoint you,” Assoumani stated during his inauguration ceremony at a stadium in the capital, Moroni. Wearing a green and yellow sash, he called on civil society, the opposition, and all political actors to set aside their differences for the sake of peace and democracy. He also committed to growing the economy by 5% per year.
Assoumani, a former army officer, first came to power through a coup in 1999. He stepped down in 2002 but returned to win elections 14 years later. Constitutional reforms in 2018 removed the requirement for the presidency to rotate among the country’s three main islands every five years, enabling Assoumani to seek re-election in 2019.
