BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 3. The international conference on “Illegal French Occupation of Mayotte Island of Comoros Union” was held in Baku under the organization of the Baku Initiative Group, Trend reports.
The conference was attended by ambassadors of the Union of Comoros acting in the UN, South Africa, and other regions, organizations such as “The Maoré Committee”, “Collective of the Third Way (C3V)”, “Democratic Front”, “Collective for Protection of Integrity and Sovereignty of Comoros”, residents of Mayotte Island, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, ambassadors, representatives of international organizations, professors, experts, representatives of think tanks, and media.
The conference featured a wide exchange of views on the numerous resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the UN General Assembly on the occupation of the island of Mayotte, France's non-compliance with these resolutions, and France's illegal activities to prevent the liberation of the island of Mayotte, internationally recognized as a territory of the Union of the Comoros. Detailed information was given on the annexation of the island of Mayotte by France through a “referendum” and the damage caused to the Comorians, as well as on the consequences of French colonization.
The representatives of the Comoros Islands stated that France, using its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, purposefully localized the issue of the occupation of the island of Mayotte and also did not allow keeping the fact of occupation on the agenda of international organizations, blocking all related initiatives.
France has been putting pressure on other states since 1995 for non-adoption of UN resolutions on the occupation of the island of Mayotte, evading the implementation of previously adopted documents.
Within the framework of the conference, a flash mob was organized, and full support was expressed for the territorial integrity of the Union of the Comoros.
Meanwhile, at the end of the event, a final declaration was adopted by the participants. A Memorandum of Cooperation was also signed between the Maoré Committee and the Baku Initiative Group.
To note, the main goal of the Maoré Committee is to return the island of Mayotte to the Union of the Comoros.
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An international conference organized by the Baku Initiative Group and dedicated to the French-occupied island of Mayotte has been held in Baku, Trend reports.
The conference titled "Illegal French Occupation of Mayotte Island of Comoros Union" was attended by public and political figures from Mayotte, representatives of the academic community, human rights activists, heads of non-governmental organizations, members of political parties fighting against the occupation of Mayotte Island by France and striving for the return of Mayotte to the Union of Comoros, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan.
During the conference, attendees heard about the French colonization of the Comoros, the impact of France's occupation on the Comorians, the economic and geopolitical goals of France's colonial policy in the area, and the opinions of international organizations on Mayotte's place in the Union of the Comoros.
The member of the Committee for the Struggle for the Independence of the Island of Mayotte, Ahmed Thabet, has stated that France, by using force, is trying to suppress the aspirations of the Comorian people for independence.
According to him, France is required to call it quits on the occupation.
“We want to be independent. The UN recognizes Comoros as an independent state. However, France is now continuing its occupation for half a century, illegally against international law,” he added.
Furthermore, he pointed out that France is actively attempting to maintain its colonial rule over the entire territory of the Comoros.
He emphasized that the French army still controls the maritime waters around the Comoros Islands.
“France does this to prevent the movement of Comorians on its territory. Another negative consequence of this occupation is that these territories are still at the center of Europe's attention. France's policy on this territory is to destroy the Comorian society,” he emphasized.
He also mentioned that the international community must be informed of all these facts.
“The international community must pressure France to stop these illegal steps. This injustice must end,” he added.
The former permanent representative of Comoros to the UN, Mohamed Toihiri, in his turn, stated that the island of Mayotte is on the verge of destruction.
Toihiri pointed out that the Comorians have experienced many catastrophes over the years.
“France has set up so-called borders and artificial barriers to the movement of peoples of the same origin living on the island of Mayotte. France seeks to divide peoples of the same origin. The visa regime applied to Comorians creates serious problems for people. It is necessary to obtain such a visa to travel to nearby areas, especially for health reasons,” he said.
He also remarked that thousands of people have died and thousands more are on the verge of death as a result of France's colonial policies.
“Comorians are restricted in their movement and comfortable living. In Operation Wuambushu, or Operation Return, many houses were burned down by the French armed forces, and many people were killed and also expelled from their homes,” he added.
To note, this is the 16th international event organized by the Baku Initiative Group supporting peoples struggling against colonial policies under international law over the past year.
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