Azali Assoumani | |
|---|---|
غزالي عثماني | |
.jpg) Assoumani in 2023 | |
| 7thPresident of the Comoros | |
| Assumed office 3 April 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Moustadroine Abdou (acting) |
| In office 26 May 2016 – 13 February 2019 | |
| Vice President | Abdallah Said Sarouma Djaffar Ahmed Said Moustadroine Abdou |
| Preceded by | Ikililou Dhoinine |
| Succeeded by | Moustadroine Abdou (acting) |
| In office 26 May 2002 – 26 May 2006 | |
| Vice President | Caabi El-Yachroutu Mohamed Rachidi ben Massonde |
| Preceded by | Hamada Madi (interim) |
| Succeeded by | Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi |
| President of the Council of State of the Comoros | |
| In office 30 April 1999 – 21 January 2002 | |
| Prime Minister | Bianrifi Tarmidi Hamada Madi |
| Preceded by | Tadjidine Ben Said Massounde(acting) |
| Succeeded by | Hamada Madi(acting) |
| 21stChairperson of the African Union | |
| In office 18 February 2023 – 17 February 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Macky Sall |
| Succeeded by | Mohamed Ould Ghazouani |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1959-01-01)1 January 1959 (age 67) |
| Party | Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros |
| Spouse | Ambari Daroueche |
| Children | Nour El Fath Azali Loukman Azali Yasser Azali Ilham Azali |
| Profession | Senior military officer |
| Signature |  |
Azali Assoumani (Arabic:غزالي عثماني; born 1 January 1959) is a Comorian politician and military officer who has served as the seventhPresident of theComoros from 2002 to 2006 and again since 2016, except for a brief period in 2019. He became head of state after staging acoup d'état in 1999 and was elected president in2002,2016,2019 and2024. He also served asChairperson of the African Union from February 2023 to February 2024.[1][2] Assoumani's current presidency has been described as increasingly authoritarian.[3][4]
Born in 1959 inMitsoudjé,[5] French Comoros, Assoumani trained at theMeknes Royal Military Academy in Morocco and theÉcole de Guerre inParis.[6][7]
Assoumani became the President of the Council of State of the Comoros in 1999 after overthrowing interim presidentTadjidine Ben Said Massounde in acoup d'état. His troops justified the coup on the basis of protectingterritorial integrity after Massounde had begun negotiations with representatives of the island ofAnjouan for greater autonomy or independence. This was despite the fact that an international conference inAntananarivo had resulted in a settlement on the matter between the three islands of the Comoros, although the government of Anjouan had delayed ratifying the agreement.
On 23 December 2001, Assoumani's new proposed constitution was adopted by referendum.[8][9] The constitution established a rotating presidency and granted considerable autonomy to the Comorian islands, each of which gained its own basic law, flag and executive branch of government. It also renamed the country from the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros to the Union of the Comoros and redesigned the national flag to remove its religious inscriptions and become multicolour, as can be seen today.
Assoumani announced elections for 2002, with violent clashes between state forces and the opposition erupting across the country during the campaign.[10] Reports of arbitrary arrests also emerged.[10] Assoumani resigned from his position as President of the Council of State on 21 January 2002, in order to run for President of the Union of the Comoros and was succeeded byHamada Madi. Assoumani was then elected president with 75% of the vote in the multiparty2002 Comorian presidential election, and was inaugurated on 26 May 2002.
Assoumani's presidency was marked by conflicts over jurisdiction andpolitical gridlock due to his refusal to devolve power to the autonomous regions of the Comoros, as mandated by the constitution. The latter also required that successive presidents be from different islands, allowingAhmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi from Anjouan to succeed him after winning the2006 presidential election.
Assoumani launched a second presidential bid in the2016 presidential election. In the first round on 21 February, he came third with 14.96% of the vote, before winning the second round with 40.98% of the vote on 10 April.[11][12] However, both Assoumani and his opponent Mohamed Ali Solihi disputed the election result, alleging irregularities and electoral fraud in the second round.[13] Assoumani demanded the invalidation of ballots from most of the polling stations on Anjouan in particular. Consequently, a third round of voting took place on 11 May. The Constitutional Court declared Assoumani the winner with 41.43% of the vote on 15 May, and he took office on 26 May for a five-year term.[14] His first vice-president wasDjaffar Ahmed Said, the former attorney-general and director of judicial affairs, who was later replaced by Moustadroine Aboudou from Anjouan and thenAbdallah Said Sarouma fromMohéli.
During his tenure, the opposition accused Assoumani of having amended the constitution to remain in power until 2029. In addition, his closing of the Constitutional Court and Anti-Corruption Court caused theEuropean Union to suspend all cooperation with the Comoros in protest.[15]
On 13 February 2019, Assoumani resigned the presidency to campaign for re-election in the2019 Comorian presidential election on 24 March.[16] He was elected in the first round and assumed office again on 3 April.[17][18]
Assoumani was reelected for another term as president in the2024 Comorian presidential election.[19] which was marred by allegations of fraud and post-election violence in Moroni.[20] On 7 August 2024, Assoumani granted extensive powers to his son and presumed successor Nour El Fath, allowing him to intervene at several stages of the government decision-making process.[21]
On 13 September 2024, Assoumani was slightly injured after being stabbed at a funeral inSalimani, outsideMoroni. The suspect, who was later identified as a 24-year old soldier named Ahmed Abdou, was arrested but was found dead in his prison cell the next day.[22]
In January 2025, the ruling party of president Azali Assoumani won parliamentaryelection, taking 28 out of 33 parliamentary seats. The opposition parties rejected the results.[23]
In 2022, Assoumani was invited by PresidentPaul Biya of Cameroon to open the2021 Africa Cup of Nations atOlembe Stadium,Yaoundé. On 28 September 2022, on the occasion of the state funeral forShinzo Abe, Japan's former prime minister, in Tokyo, Assoumani was one of only seven heads of state who met withJapanese EmperorNaruhito.[24]In July 2023, Assoumani, also in his capacity as Chairperson of the African Union, attended the2023 Russia–Africa Summit in St. Petersburg in which Russian PresidentVladimir Putin attempted to continue efforts to posture Russia as a more attractive ally to African partner states thanWesternliberal democracies.[25]
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Media related toAzali Assoumani at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related toAzali Assoumani at Wikiquote| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | President of the Comoros 1999–2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of the Comoros 2002–2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of the Comoros 2016–present | Incumbent |
(i) interim |
