SubSaharan Africa 409
220 France/540 Angola
MID#2150
Started in March 1977. See the narrative in the 490 Democratic Republic of the
Congo/540 Angola dyad dispute list.
220 France/581 Comoros
MID#3906
Dispute Number: 3906
Date(s): December 7, 1989 to December 15, 1989
Participants: 220 France/581 Comoros
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (Imposed)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: This dispute concerns French intervention in Comoros following a coup
instigated by Bob Denard, a former French soldier and notorious mercenary. It started
in November 1989, when Denard, faced with an order to leave Comoros by head of
state Ahmed Abdallah, orchestrated Abdallah’s assassination. Denard and his soldiers
of fortune, mostly Europeans themselves, emerged from the power vacuum and pro-
claimed leadership of the chain of islands between Mozambique and Madagascar.
His presence had grown unacceptable for South Africa and France, the two states that
encouraged Abdallah to order him to leave.
On December 6, France threatened it would cut off economic support to Comoros
if Denard remained. South Africa, the second major state keeping Comoros solvent,
had already suspended aid to the islands. In the interim, both France and South Africa
worked on paying Denard to leave and providing him a country of asylum. With
diplomats simultaneously reporting that Denard either demanded an exorbitant sum
of US$40 million or that he would refuse a “golden parachute” deal outright, paying
Denard to leave seemed untenable.
France took a more aggressive stance, starting with a naval show of force off the
islands on December 13. A mobilization of forces in the area followed. Three days
later, Denard and a group of his European mercenaries ultimately fled to South Africa
and were put under house arrest. France assumed momentary control of the islands,
ultimately assigning the task of head of state to Said Mohammed Djohar.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from December 11, 1989.
230 Spain/411 Equatorial Guinea
MID#1406
Dispute Number: 1406
Date(s): March 1, 1969 to April 4, 1969