Ahmed Abdallah Abderemane (, , 12 June 1919 – 26 November 1989) was a top Comorian politician. He was a member of the French Senate from 1959 to 1973, and President of the Comoros from 25 October 1978 until his assassination in 1989.

Life prior to the presidency

Abdallah was born in Domoni, on the island of

Anjouan Anjouan () is an autonomous volcanic island in the Comoro Islands in the southwestern Indian Ocean, part of the Comoros, Union of the Comoros. It is known in Comorian languages, Shikomori as Ndzuani, Ndzuwani or Nzwani, and, until the early twentie ...

. He began participating in the government in the 1940s, while the Comoros were still part of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He was the President of the general council from 1949 until 1953,Security concerns - Comoros
/ref> and was the chairman of the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

from April 1970 to June 1970.

First presidency

In 1972, Abdallah, now leader of his political party, the Comoros Democratic Union (UDC), became president of the government council and

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

of the Comoros; he served in that position until 6 July 1975, when the islands became independent from France, (with the exception of

Mayotte Mayotte ( ; , ; , ; , ), officially the Department of Mayotte (), is an Overseas France, overseas Overseas departments and regions of France, department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is one of the Overseas departm ...

, which voted to remain part of France.) Abdallah became the first president of the independent islands, but was overthrown by

Said Mohamed Jaffar Prince Said Mohamed Jaffar (), full name Said Mohamed Jaffar El Amjad, (April 14, 1918 in Comoros – October 22, 1993) was the second President of Comoros ''(État comorien)'' from 3 August 1975 until 3 January 1976, as well as chief minister o ...

in a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

on 3 August 1975. Jaffar, in turn, would be overthrown by

Ali Soilih Ali Soilih M'Tsashiwa (; January 7, 1937 – May 29, 1978) was a Comorian socialist revolutionary and political figure who served as the third President of the Comoros from 3 January 1976 to 13 May 1978. Biography Soilih was born in Majung ...

in 1976.

Second presidency

Abdallah (who had been living in exile

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France) was the nominal leader of the coup staged by mercenary

Bob Denard Robert Denard (born Gilbert Bourgeaud; 7 April 1929 – 13 October 2007) was a French mercenary. He served as the ''de facto'' military leader of the Comoros twice with him first serving from 13 May 1978 to 15 December 1989 and again briefly f ...

on 13 May 1978. After Said Atthoumani had served as "Chairman of the Politico-Military Directorate" for ten days, Abdallah and Mohamed Ahmed assumed the titles of "Co-Chairmen of the Politico-Military Directorate". On 22 July, their titles were changed to "Co-Chairmen of the Directorate," and on 3 October, Abdallah became the lone chair. Abdallah was in fact a

puppet leader A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government is a state that is ''de jure'' independent but '' de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside power and subject to its orders.Compare: Puppet states have nominal soverei ...

with no power to make decisions of his own, and the real ruler of the Comoros was Denard, who served as the commander of the Presidential Guard. On 25 October, Abdallah assumed the title of president and remained in office until his death, despite three separate coup attempts against him. In 1982, Abdallah had the UDC and all other parties abolished, and a new party, the

Comorian Union for Progress The Comorian Union for Progress ( Comorian: ''Udzima'', lit. ''Unity''; , UCP) is a political party in the Comoros. History In 1978, French mercenary Bob Denard staged a coup d'etat against the socialist government of Ali Soilih, bringing Ahmed ...

(UCP), was set up. The Comoros became a

one-party state A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a governance structure in which only a single political party controls the ruling system. In a one-party state, all opposition parties are either outlawed or en ...

, with the UCP being the only legal party, the regime became dictatorial, supervised by mercenaries who controlled the country and avoided various coup attempts. Some opponents of the regime are executed or disappear during this period. The only candidate to be allowed to stand for election, Ahmed Abdallah was re-elected on 30 September 1984, and his party won all seats in the Federal Assembly on 22 May 1987. During this time, Denard proceeded to plunder the Comorian economy as he became the largest single landowner in the Comoros, taking over all the best land, which he then developed into luxury hotel resorts for wealthy Western tourists who wished to enjoy the tropics.

Assassination

On 26 November 1989, he was shot dead in his Moroni office under highly disputed circumstances. It is generally believed that Denard had Abdallah assassinated for trying to dismiss him as commander of the Presidential Guard.Axelrod, Alan ''Mercenaries: A Guide to Private Armies and Private Military Companies'', Washington: CQ Press, 2013 p.78 At his trial in 1999 for Abdallah's murder in Paris, Denard claimed that Abdallah was assassinated by Abdallah Jaffar during a coup led by Ali Soilih's half-brother,

Said Mohamed Djohar Said Mohammed Djohar ( 22 August 1918 – 22 February 2006) was a Comorian politician who served as the fifth President of the Comoros from 1989 to 1995. Climb to power Born on 22 August in 1918 in Majunga, Madagascar, Djohar was the hal ...

. Denard was acquitted for a lack of evidence as the judge ruled that the prosecution made only a circumstantial case that Denard was behind Abdallah's murder. Djohar took control of the country the next day. Denard tried to prevent Djohar from assuming the presidency, but this time, France, which found Denard an embarrassment, sent in military forces to gently usher Denard and his mercenaries out of the Comoros.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdallah, Ahmed 1919 births 1989 deaths 1989 murders in Africa Leaders who took power by coup Leaders ousted by a coup Presidents of the Comoros Ministers of foreign affairs of the Comoros Assassinated Comorian politicians People murdered in the Comoros Deaths by firearm in the Comoros People from Anjouan Comorian Union for Progress politicians French senators of the Fifth Republic Senators of French East Africa Assassinated presidents in Africa African politicians assassinated in the 1980s National presidents assassinated in the 20th century Politicians assassinated in 1989

Life prior to the presidency

First presidency

Second presidency

Assassination

See also

References