Editing History of the Comoros (section)

==French Comoros==
{{For|the history of the native sultanates on several of the major islands|List of sultans on the Comoros}}

France's presence in the western Indian Ocean dates to the early 17th century.<ref name=m148>{{harvnb|Metz|1995|p=148}}.</ref> The French established a settlement in southern [[Madagascar]] in 1634 and occupied the islands of [[Réunion]] and [[Rodrigues]]; in 1715 France claimed [[Mauritius]] ({{lang|fr|Île de France}}), and in 1756 [[Seychelles]].<ref name=m148/> When France ceded Mauritius, Rodrigues, and Seychelles to Britain in 1814, it lost its Indian Ocean ports; Reunion, which remained French, did not offer a suitable natural harbor.<ref name=m148/> In 1840 France acquired the island of [[Nosy-Be]] off the northwestern coast of Madagascar, but its potential as a port was limited.<ref name=m148/> In 1841 the governor of Reunion, [[Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell|Admiral de Hell]], negotiated with Andrian Souli, the Malagasy ruler of [[Mayotte]], to cede Mayotte to France.<ref>{{harvnb|Metz|1995|pp=148–149}}.</ref> Mahore offered a suitable site for port facilities, and its acquisition was justified by de Hell on the grounds that if France did not act, Britain would occupy the island.<ref name=m149>{{harvnb|Metz|1995|p=149}}.</ref>

Although France had established a foothold in Comoros, the acquisition of the other islands proceeded fitfully.<ref name=m149/> At times the French were spurred on by the threat of British intervention, especially on Nzwani, and at other times, by the constant anarchy resulting from the sultans' wars upon each other.<ref name=m149/> In the 1880s, [[German East Africa|Germany's growing influence]] on the East African coast added to the concerns of the French.<ref name=m149/> Not until 1908, however, did the four Comoro Islands become part of France's [[French Madagascar|colony of Madagascar]] and not until 1912 did the last sultan abdicate.<ref name=m149/> Then, a colonial administration took over the islands and established a capital at Dzaoudzi on Mahore.<ref name=m149/> Treaties of protectorate status marked a transition point between independence and annexation; such treaties were signed with the rulers of Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mwali in 1886.<ref name=m149/>

The effects of French colonialism were mixed, at best.<ref name=m149/> Colonial rule brought an end to the institution of [[Slavery in the Comoros]], but economic and social differences between former slaves and free persons and their descendants persisted.<ref name=m149/> Health standards improved with the introduction of modern medicine, and the population increased about 50 percent between 1900 and 1960.<ref name=m149/> France continued to dominate the economy.<ref name=m149/> Food crop cultivation was neglected as French {{lang|fr|sociétés}} (companies) established cash crop plantations in the coastal regions.<ref name=m149/> The result was an economy dependent on the exporting of [[vanilla]], [[ylang-ylang]], [[clove]]s, [[Theobroma cacao|cocoa]], [[copra]], and other tropical crops.<ref name=m149/> Most profits obtained from exports were diverted to France 
rather than invested in the infrastructure of the islands.<ref name=m149/> Development was further limited by the colonial government's practice of concentrating public services on Madagascar.<ref name=m149/> One consequence of this policy was the migration of large numbers of Comorans to Madagascar, where their presence would be a long-term source of tension between Comoros and its giant island neighbor.<ref name=m149/> The Shirazi elite continued to play a prominent role as large landowners and civil servants.<ref name=m149/> On the eve of independence, Comoros remained poor and undeveloped, 
having only one secondary school and practically nothing in the way of national media.<ref name=m149/> Isolated from important trade routes by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, having few natural resources, and largely neglected by France, the islands were poorly equipped for independence.<ref>{{harvnb|Metz|1995|pp=149–150}}.</ref>

On September 25, 1942, British forces landed in the [[Comoros]], occupying them until October 13, 1946.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Brief History of Comoros |url=https://www.studycountry.com/guide/KM-history.htm |website=StudyCountry.com |access-date=18 February 2023}}</ref>

In 1946 the Comoro Islands became an overseas department of France with representation in the French National Assembly.<ref name=m150>{{harvnb|Metz|1995|p=150}}.</ref>  The following year, the islands' administrative ties to Madagascar were severed; Comoros established its own customs regime in 1952.<ref name=m150/> A Governing Council was elected in August 1957 on the four islands in conformity with the loi-cadre (enabling law) of June 23, 1956.<ref name=m150/> A constitution providing for internal self-government was promulgated in 1961, following a [[1958 Comorian constitutional referendum|1958 referendum]] in which Comorans voted overwhelmingly to remain a part of France.<ref name=m150/> This government consisted of a territorial assembly having, in 1975, thirty-nine members, and a Governing Council of six to nine ministers responsible to it.<ref name=m150/>

Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for the Comoros to become independent in 1978. On July 6, 1975, however, the Comorian parliament passed a resolution declaring unilateral independence as a republic. The deputies of [[Mayotte]] abstained. The first president of the Comoros, [[Ahmed Abdallah Abderemane]], did not last long before being ousted in a [[coup d'état]] by [[Ali Soilih]], an [[Atheism|atheist]] with an Islamic background.

Soilih began with a set of solid [[Socialism|socialist]] ideals designed to modernize the country. However, the regime faced problems. A French mercenary by the name of [[Bob Denard]], arrived in the Comoros at dawn on 13 May 1978, and removed Soilih from power. Solih was shot and killed during the [[1978 Comorian coup d'état|coup]]. The mercenaries returned Abdallah to power<ref>{{Cite news |title=Comoros - History |language=en |work=Encyclopedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Comoros/History |access-date=2022-11-27}}</ref> and the mercenaries were given key positions in government.

In two referendums, in [[1974 Comorian independence referendum|December 1974]] and [[1976 Mahoran Comoros referendum|February 1976]], the population of Mayotte voted against independence from France (by 63.8% and 99.4% respectively). Mayotte thus remains under French administration, and the Comorian Government has effective control over only Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli.

Later, French settlers, French-owned companies, and Arab merchants established a plantation-based economy that now uses about one-third of the land for export crops.