“The present crisis in Comoros is a contest for political dominance between elitist groups who see their interest being sustained within the framework of centralisation and those who favour a loose federation. Sambi and Bacar are merely point persons in this contest. It should be noted that President Sem Mohamed Abdouloihabi of Grand Comore and Mohamed Ali Said of Mohéli are collaborators of Sambi and favour closer collaboration amongst the islands. It is against this backdrop that smart sanctions were instituted by the AU, which targeted the economic wealth of the Anjouan political and economic elites as a measure to force them to reach a compromise solution.”
