Former president of the Comorian island Anjouan, Col. Muhammad Bacar, has reportedly fled to Mayotte, an island loyal to France, and has asked France for political asylum.
Bacar fled the island after his failed attempt to illegally seize power over Anjouan. The escaped leader is facing accusations of perpetrating war crimes, including torture and rape. Bacar refused to step down from power in 2007 and held an election that was declared illegal by the central Comorian government. He has since been controlling the island as a breakaway province.
Anjouan was invaded last Tuesday by a joint force of the Comorian army and the African Union. The 1,200 invading soldiers were not met with much resistance and took control over the rebel island in a few hours.
The Comorian central government announced that an interim government would be formed in Anjouan by the end of the week. The interim government will control the island until the next elections, which are supposed to take place in May, a government spokesman said. Meanwhile, vice-President of the Comoros islands, Ikililou Duinin, was appointed head of the interim government.
Bacar came to power in Anjouan through a military coup in 2001 and was later voted into office in 2002.
Cheering crowds welcomed the Comorian and African Union soldiers, who landed on Tuesday from the neighboring island of Moheli, eyewitnesses said.
The Comoros islands, a member of the Arab League, have a combined population of 700,000, the vast majority of whom are Sunni Muslim. The small nation, located between Madagascar and the south-eastern shores of Africa, is comprised of four islands, although one, Mayotte, is a separate entity loyal to France.
The three remaining islands have a long history of disputes over power sharing. There have been 19 coups and attempted coups since the three islands gained independence from France in 1975.