Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamed Amiri Salimou said the National Development Army’s “successful” operations were carried out on March 9-10 and March 14-16, ahead of a planned African Union-led military invasion.

Salimou said two of his soldiers were wounded “but are not in danger”. Bacar’s men, he said, were repulsed when they grouped near a boat that ferried the forces across to Anjouan.

Bacar rebelled against President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi and the AU after they had ordered him not to hold local presidential elections last year, but he did so in June and was proclaimed the victor.

Sambi vowed to use force to regain control over Anjouan and stationed troops in the nearby island of Moheli, while Tanzania, Senegal, Sudan and Libya offered troops for the AU invasion. The Union of Comores, comprising Grand Comore, Anjouan and Moheli, has been shaken with 19 coups and attempts since independence from France in 1975.

Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe said: “There were many opportunities for a negotiated settlement, but Bacar squandered all those chances.”

The foreign minister said Bacar only had some 300 troops at his disposal, whereas the joint Comoran-AU operation could count on 1800 men. — Sapa-AFP