Comoros official calls for new Pan-Africa, criticizes French colonial legacy at Baku forum

Mustafa Abdul-Rauf, a member of the Group for the Protection of the Integrity and Sovereignty of the Comoros Union, has called for creating a new Pan-Africa at the forum in Baku.

During a conference in Baku titled "Independence of Réunion: A Look at France's Colonial Legacy and the Path to Sovereignty," he emphasized that the peoples under French colonial rule share the same suffering, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

"The people along the Indian Ocean shores, the Comorian people, and several other nations continue to endure the severe consequences of France's actions," he said. "Our primary goal is the liberation of Mayotte and the Comoros Islands. We must pursue this struggle on a broader scale."

To recall, an international conference organized by the Baku Initiative Group gathers representatives from the Reunion independence movement, anti-colonial leaders, human rights defenders, NGO heads, decolonization experts, and researchers.

The conference focuses on raising awareness of the ongoing efforts to secure recognition for Réunion Island's right to self-determination and exploring international legal mechanisms to support the cause.

Reunion Island, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, has a complex colonial history. Seized by France in 1642, its colonial legacy still shapes its economy, politics, and society. Despite being an overseas department, the island relies heavily on France for trade and investment, leading to economic challenges, including high unemployment.

Political structures limit local autonomy, hindering self-determination. Efforts for sovereignty, discussed at the "Reunion Independence" conference, focus on seeking international recognition and legal mechanisms to support the islanders' right to autonomy and a future free from colonial constraints.

By Aghakazim Guliyev