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Ahmed Abdallah Abderemane ( ar, أحمد عبد الله عبد الرحمن, , 12 June 1919 – 26 November 1989) was a 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 Domoni (population 15,351) is the second largest city on the Comorian island of Anjouan in the Indian Ocean and is located on the east coast of the island. It was the capital of the island in the past while the present capital of Anjouan is Mutsa ...
, on the island of
Anjouan Anjouan (; also known as Ndzuwani or Nzwani, and historically as Johanna or Hinzuan) is an autonomous high island in the Indian Ocean that forms part of the Union of the Comoros. Its chief town is Mutsamudu and, , its population is around 277,500. ...
. 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 primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. He was the President of the general council from 1949 until 1953, and was the chairman of the chamber of deputies during the 1970s.Security concerns - Comoros
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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 terri ...
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 (; french: Mayotte, ; Shimaore: ''Maore'', ; Kibushi: ''Maori'', ), officially the Department of Mayotte (french: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is loc ...
, 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 ( ar, سعيد محمد جعفر), full name Said Mohamed Jaffar El Amjad, (born April 14, 1918 in Comoros, and died October 22, 1993) was the 2nd President of Comoros ''(État comorien)'' from August 1975 until January ...
in a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
on August 3, 1975. Jaffar, in turn, would be overthrown by Ali Soilih in 1976.


Second presidency

Abdallah (who had been living in exile
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, 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 soldier of fortune and mercenary. He served as the Military Leader of The Comoros twice with him first serving from 13 May 1978 to 15 December 1989 and again ...
on 13 May 1978. After
Said Atthoumani Said Atthoumani was a Comorian politician. Political career He served as interior minister of the State of Comoros, ''(État Comorien)'', briefly during 1975 when Comoros gained independence, but lost that post when Ali Soilih took power. On Ma ...
had served as "Chairman of the Politico-Military Directorate" for ten days,
Abdallah Abd Allah ( ar, عبدالله, translit=ʻAbd Allāh), also spelled Abdallah, Abdellah, Abdollah, Abdullah and many others, is an Arabic name meaning "Servant of God". It is built from the Arabic words '' abd'' () and '' Allāh'' (). Although the ...
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 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''; french: Union Comorienne pour le Progrès, UCP) is a political party in the Comoros. History In 1978, French mercenary Bob Denard staged a coup d'etat against the socialist ...
(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 type of sovereign state in which only one political party has the right to form the government, usually based on the existing constitution. All other parties ...
, 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 September 30, 1984, and his party won all seats in the Federal Assembly on May 22, 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 on a highly disputed circumstances. It is generally believed that Denard had Abdallah assassinated for tying 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 ( ar, سعيد محمد جوهر 22 August 1918 – 22 February 2006) was a Comorian politician who served as the 4th President of the Comoros from 1989 to 1995. Climb to power Born in Majunga, Madagascar, Djohar was ...
. 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.  


See also

* List of heads of state 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 Foreign ministers of the Comoros Assassinated heads of state 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