MORONI, Comoros — The Comoros government said Wednesday that it has defeated rebels and seized Anjouan island off the southeast coast of Africa.
Soldiers were searching for a renegade colonel who had sought independence for the island and ruled there since 2001.
The government claim that it had retaken Anjouan, which could not immediately be verified, came a day after hundreds of its troops backed by African Union forces seized the island’s capital, Mutsamudu.
“As you can imagine we are in a kind of jubilant mood, especially the way it (takeover) has gone because it has been very swift. In a matter of 18 hours, the situation was under control,” said Abdourahim Said Bacar, a government spokesman in Moroni.
Troops have yet to find the renegade rebel leader, Col. Mohamed Bacar. The colonel gained control of Anjouan during a 2001 military coup and was elected president in disputed polls in 2002 and last May. The Associated Press
