9/12/2005
French Help For Comoros As It Transitions To Democracy

Mauritius is hosting this week the conference of donors for the Comoros,co-chaired by South African President Thabo Mbeki, Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam and Assoumani Azali, President of the Union of the Comoros. Pierre-André Wiltzer, former minister representing France.will announce a major financial contribution from France to aid economic recovery in the Comoros.

This should represent an overall effort of 65 million euros for the period 2006-2009, representing an increase of over 60% compared with the average of French aid over the last three years. French assistance will be directed specifically to rural development, health, and the productive sector through a plan to re-launch the Development Bank of the Comoros.

The donors’ conference, which was anticipated in the national reconciliation agreements of Fomboni (2002) and Moroni (2003), will mobilize international aid to finance the country’s development by re-launching the private sector (agriculture, fishing, stock raising, tourism, micro-financing) and participation in the new institutions of the Union of the Comoros.

Annan said in a message to the donors meeting
“Over the past year, the people and authorities of the Comoros have taken encouraging steps to address a number of critical issues, including those related to national reconciliation and to institutional reforms,” Mr. Annan said, citing new legislation stipulating that the presidency will rotate among the islands of the Union, which is located between Mozambique and Madagascar.


“The presidential elections to be held in March and April 2006 have the potential to be a true milestone in the country’s transition from instability, provided they are conducted in an open, fair and democratic manner,” he said.

Alpha Oumar Konare, President of the African Union Commission, and Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development, are also attending the conference.