Opinion Pieces

Ambassador Price's Farewell to the Union of Comoros

June 17, 2005

by Ambassador John Price

As I depart, I am hopeful for the Union of Comoros

Since my arrival as Ambassador to Mauritius, Seychelles, and the Union of Comoros in April 2002, I have made it my focus to work with the leaders of Comoros to sustain the revival of democracy.  I am departing my post as Ambassador effective June 17, and as I leave, I believe in the future of the Comorian democracy and federalism.  I am hopeful that when the next elections take place in Comoros you will be able to note another important success on the road to stability and prosperity.

The international community will be watching these elections.  As President Bush has said, “freedom is on the march” around the world.  Comoros stands as a testament to these words.  Today, the people of Comoros enjoy the freedom to vote in elections, the economy has more prospects for development, and international partners are beginning to invest because democracy is taking root.  If the country can pass this test, its future will most certainly be secure.  If this test fails, the international community will once again turn its back on Comoros.  It could take a generation or more for Comoros to recover.

Despite the fact that I am departing my post, and returning to the United States, our Embassy in Mauritius will be fully engaged in Comoros in the coming months.  We are your partners, contributing to the success of your country.  More members of the United States Government have visited Comoros in the past year and a half than in the previous three years combined.  We lifted sanctions in late 2003.  This was an important first step because all military assistance to Comoros, particularly the International Military Education Training (IMET) program, had been blocked by these sanctions.  The IMET program is now in full swing.

The U.S. actively supports the newly formed University of Comoros through its Democracy and Human Rights Funds and Self-Help fund and many other means.  In 2004, we sent the Director General of the University to a forum on education and democracy, and provided materials to the administration of the University.  I personally donated computers and microscopes to the University.

Efforts are currently underway to increase U.S. assistance to the country.  The first USAID assessment mission traveled to Comoros last December.  A handful of  projects funded through our Self-Help fund are helping communities develop.  As democracy continues to flourish in Comoros, U.S. assistance will continue and will increase.

We have also worked hand in hand with Comorian officials on other matters.  U.S. experts from the Center for Disease Control visited Comoros when the debilitating Alpha virus was spreading throughout Ngazidja to analyze the seriousness of the virus and recommend protections against it.  We watched with great fear when the Karthala volcano began erupting and I personally directed my staff to put our emergency relief agencies around the region on alert should the eruption cause any serious damage.  We were all very thankful when the volcano eventually went back to sleep.  We continue to monitor the situation very closely and have asked the U.S. military to work with Comorian authorities to improve water resources.

We have also closely collaborated with members of the Gendarmerie and the National Army for Development on issues of security.  We found ready partners when we initiated the Rewards for Justice Program to obtain information pertaining to the whereabouts of wanted terrorist Mohammed Abdallah Fazul.  We continue to search for this known criminal and I would again like to call for your assistance in capturing this man, which has tarnished the international reputation of Comoros.  Only when he is captured will Comoros be free from the dark shadow he has cast.

But I want to make it very clear.  The United States is going to be there to help the Comoros over the long run, even after we capture this terrorist.  As President Bush so eloquently said in his most recent inaugural address, “the survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.”  The U.S. will continue to help the Comoros to see freedom prosper.

In the future, we will work for a more prosperous and secure Union of Comoros.  I have learned that the “Moon and Spice Islands” are a country that the world needs to know better.  The Comorian people welcomed me with open arms, and I shall forever be grateful.  I will keep my memories of your country in my heart and I certainly believe in the people of the Union of Comoros.