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]
[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.
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