Comoros
'OAU blocked arrival of cholera medicine to Anjouan'

afrol.com, 24 October - In an interview with afrol.com, F. Lecler, special councellor of the President of the separatist state of Anjouan, stated that the humanitarian situation on the island "is catastrophic" due to the embargo maintained by the Organisation of African Unity, OAU, after the conflicting parties agreed to a solution to their conflict.

Lecler is Registrar of the Office for International Companies in Mirontsy (Anjouan) and a special councellor of the Anjouanese President, Lieutenant-Colonel Said Abeid. 

Anjouan formally belongs to the Comoran Indian Ocean islands state, but declared its independence from the Comoro Republic in 1997 and hoped to reattach itself to France, like neighbouring Mayotte island. After the Anjouan people had rejected an "agreement" imposed by the OAU, the Governments of Comoros and Anjouan reached the so-called Declaration of Fomboni on 26 August, turning the Comoran Federation into a new Comoran Confederation of Independent States. This declaration was, however, rejected by the OAU as not safeguarding "the territorial integrity" of Comoros, and on this basis, the OAU has implemented a total embargo of the island of Anjouan.

The embargo has included food and medicine. Afrol.com thus asked the councellor about the present humanitarian situation on Anjouan.

- Anjouan is likely to slip into a tragedy if no help is received, Lecler promptly replies. "The humanitarian situation is catastrophic, the population has been lacking everything, in particular food and medicine, since the embargo was imposed by the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The embargo considerably limits the economic activities because ships do not put in at port any more. It is thus very difficult to import products of primary need such as rice, and to export agricultural products, which again has disastrous consequences for the farmers, the principal population segment of the island. Even before the embargo, they were living under particularly difficult conditions." 

- The difficulty in importing fuel has caused problems, in particular when it comes to the transport of patients, Lecler goes on. "Due to this, people have been forced to transport the sick by means of wheelbarrow (see photo). This slow transport of patients had disastrous consequences, such as a pregnant, young woman, which deceased in front of Mr. Edmond Lauret, French senator of the Island of Reunion. This speaks in favour of the immediate lifting of the embargo. The difficulty in fuel supplies also have caused a massive deforestation because of the need for fuelwood for cooking. Undoubtedly, there will be need for several decades and of significant afforestation campaigns to return to the former situation." 

Mr. Lecler states that there is a need of international relief to assist in the desperate situation that the Anjouanese people experience. "Any form of assistances, in particular of food, medicines and hospital equipment is welcome. But the most significant assistance would be to assist the peace process and general progress and to contribute to the economic development." 

Cholera outbreak
Lately, there have been several unconfirmed reports of a cholera epidemic on the Comoros and specially on Anjouan. We asked Lecler if he could confirm this.

- Indeed, there has been a cholera epidemic in the northwest of Madagascar and on the Archipelago of the Comoros. Anjouan was particularly hard hit because the health care system was not prepared, due to its lack of personnel and of resources.

- What was done to fight it and did you receive any international assistance? 

- The embargo worsened the situation and blocked containers of drugs (Ringers), coming from Kenya intended for the fight against the cholera. These containers were to be delivered to Development Initiative, a humanitarian NGO operating on the island, Lecler told afrol.com about the dramatic situation. 

He continued: "A few months ago, the number of registered patients were approximately 2,500 and the General Health Management of Mutsamudu already had counted 100 cholera deceased. There is need for a vast vaccination program, to reinforce the hospitals and dispensaries with basic equipment and personnel, to set up central water processing units and to organize waste collection to stop the spread of the virus. But, except the work of the mentioned NGO, no international assistance was given to eradicate this plague. The International Community was indifferent for a long time but it seems to have become more and more aware of the injustice that strikes Anjouan; both the cholera and the embargo."

- The embargo against Anjouan is not justified, because this peaceful island simply seeks to take its destiny in its own hands to improve the living conditions for its population, Lecler explains. "By taking to independence in 1997, the Anjouanese wanted to stake out a new path, where the squander of public resources and the repeated military coups d'état would be put to an end. This is why, in spite of their catastrophic situation, the Anjouanese want to preserve their independence and expressed this in a referendum. In spite of the difficulties, our public institutions continue to operate (the National Assembly, Municipalities), and the year 2000 budget was passed democratically." However, the councellor states, "the Anjouanese always wanted to maintain fraternal links with the other islands of the archipelago. This is why, from the very start of the Comoran crisis, they proposed the creation of a Confederation of Independent States."

The OAU continues enforcing its embargo against Anjouan, although the Governments of the Comoros and of Anjouan have reached a common solution and the Comoros have lifted their old embargo against Anjouan. "We are in a grotesque situation, because the parties in conflict got along," Lecler states in the follow-up interview tomorrow, focusing on the political situation. 

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