| History of the Comoros |
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This article lists the colonial governors of the Comoros, from the establishment of the French suzerainty over the Comoro Islands in 1841 until the independence of the Comoros in 1975.
| History of the Comoros |
|---|
| |
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This article lists the colonial governors of the Comoros, from the establishment of the French suzerainty over the Comoro Islands in 1841 until the independence of the Comoros in 1975.
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| French Suzerainty | ||
| 25 March 1841 | Annexed by France; ratified 13 June 1843 | |
| Colony of Mayotte | ||
| 1841 to June 1843 | Pierre Passot , French Representative | |
| Subordinated to the governors of Île de Bourbon/Réunion | ||
| June 1843 to 11 March 1844 | Pierre Passot , Commandant-Superior | 1st Term |
| 11 March 1844 to 17 June 1844 | Paul Charles Rang , Commandant-Superior | |
| 17 June 1844 to 22 October 1844 | Charles Louis Thiebault , acting Commandant-Superior | |
| 22 October 1844 to January 1846 | Auguste Le Brun , acting Commandant-Superior | |
| January 1846 to August 1849 | Pierre Passot , Commandant-Superior | 2nd Term |
| Subordinated to the governors of Réunion | ||
| 11 August 1849 to 13 June 1851 | Stanislas Fortune Livet , Commissioner | |
| 13 June 1851 to 18 October 1853 | Philibert Bonfils , Commissioner | |
| 18 October 1853 to 13 December 1854 | André Brisset , acting Commissioner | |
| 13 December 1854 to 15 August 1857 | Auguste Joseph Verand , Commissioner | |
| 15 August 1857 to 14 August 1860 | Charles Auguste Morel , Commissioner | |
| 14 August 1860 to 14 December 1864 | Charles Gabrié , Commissioner | |
| 14 December 1864 to 8 July 1868 | Joseph Christophe Colomb , Commissioner | 1st Term |
| 8 July 1868 to 15 April 1869 | Joseph Ferdinand Hayes , acting Commissioner | |
| 15 April 1869 to 21 May 1869 | L.J. Leguay , acting Commissioner | |
| 21 May 1869 to 4 March 1871 | Joseph Christophe Colomb , Commissioner | 2nd Term |
| 4 March 1871 to 19 December 1871 | Patrice Louis Ventre de la Touloubre , acting Commissioner | 1st Term |
| 19 December 1871 to 1 March 1875 | Patrice Louis Ventre de la Touloubre , Commissioner | 1st Term |
| 1 March 1875 to 16 September 1875 | Claude Fontaine , acting Commissioner | |
| 16 September 1875 to 26 December 1875 | François Marie Ferriez , acting Commissioner | |
| 26 December 1875 to 2 January 1878 | Patrice Louis Ventre de la Touloubre , Commissioner | 2nd Term |
| 2 January 1878 to 9 December 1878 | Jean Roblin , acting Commandant | |
| 9 December 1878 to 7 September 1879 | Charles Vassal , acting Commandant | |
| 7 September 1879 to 16 December 1879 | Charles Bayet , acting Commandant | |
| 16 December 1879 to 31 December 1879 | Edouard Sasias , acting Commandant | |
| 31 December 1879 to 3 March 1885 | François Marie Ferriez , Commandant | |
| 3 March 1885 to 24 June 1886 | Anne Léodor Philotée Metellus Gerville-Réache , Commandant | |
| Ngazidja (Grande Comore), Ndzuwani (Anjouan), and Mwali (Mohéli) French protectorates | ||
| 24 June 1886 to August 1887 | Anne Léodor Philotée Metellus Gerville-Réache , Commandant | (contd.) |
| 19 August 1887 to 5 September 1887 | Paul Louis Maxime Celoron de Blainville , Commandant | |
| Colony of Mayotte and Dependencies ( Colony de Mayotte et Dépendances ) | ||
| 5 September 1887 to 4 May 1888 | Paul Celeron de Blainville , Commandant | |
| 4 May 1887 to 1893 | Clovis Papinaud , Commandant | 1st Term |
| 1893 to 30 March 1896 | Etinne Lacascade , Commandant | |
| 30 March 1896 to 5 August 1897 | Gentien Pereton , Commandant | |
| 5 August 1897 to 7 March 1899 | Louis Micon , Commandant | |
| 7 March 1899 to 18 September 1900 | Clovis Papinaud , Commandant | 2nd Term |
| 18 September 1900 to 15 October 1902 | Pierre Hunert Auguste Pascal , Governor | |
| 15 October 1902 to 28 February 1905 | Alfred Albert Martineau , Governor | |
| 28 February 1905 to 3 March 1906 | Jean Auguste Gaston Joliet , Governor | |
| 3 March 1906 to 9 April 1908 | Fernand Foureau , Governor | |
| Colony of Mayotte and Dependencies attached to Madagascar | ||
| 9 April 1908 to 8 September 1908 | Fernand Foureau , Governor | (contd.) |
| 8 September 1908 to 1 May 1911 | Charles Henri Vergnes , Administrator | |
| 1 May 1911 to 28 September 1911 | Frédéric Estèbe , Administrator | |
| 28 September 1911 to 25 July 1912 | ||
| 25 July 1912 | Colony of Mayotte and Dependencies abolished and incorporated into Madagascar | |
| Province of Comoros | Under Madagascar; ratified 23 February 1914 | |
| 25 July 1912 to 21 February 1913 | Gabriel Samuel Garnier-Mouton , Administrator | |
| 21 February 1913 to 1914 | Honoré Cartron , Administrator | |
| 23 February 1914 | de jure subordinated to Madagascar | |
| 24 October 1946 to 27 October 1946 | Alain Alaniou , Administrator-superior | |
| French overseas territory | ||
| 27 October 1946 to 31 December 1948 | Alain Alaniou , Administrator-superior | |
| 31 December 1948 to December 1950 | Marie Emmanuel Adolphe Roger Rémy , acting Administrator-superior | |
| December 1950 to April 1956 | Pierre Coudert , Administrator-superior | |
| April 1956 to 11 February 1958 | Georges Victor Maurice Arnaud , acting Administrator-superior | |
| 11 February 1958 to 30 June 1959 | Georges Victor Maurice Arnaud , Administrator-superior | |
| 30 June 1959 to 14 December 1960 | Gabriel Savignac , acting Administrator-superior | |
| 14 December 1960 to 22 December 1961 | Louis Saget , Administrator-superior | |
| Territory of Comoros | Autonomous | |
| ( Territoire des Comores ) | ||
| 22 December 1961 to 27 February 1962 | Louis Saget , Administrator-superior | (contd.) |
| 27 February 1962 to 22 May 1962 | Louis Saget , High Commissioner | |
| 22 May 1962 to 15 February 1963 | Yves de Daruvar , High Commissioner | |
| 15 February 1963 to 26 July 1966 | Henri Joseph Marie Bernard , High Commissioner | |
| 26 July 1966 to November 1969 | Antoine Colombani , High Commissioner | |
| November 1969 to July 1975 | Jacques Mouradian , High Commissioner | |
| 6 July 1975 | Independence as State of Comoros , and secession of Mayotte | |
For continuation after independence, see: List of heads of state of the Comoros
The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an archipelagic country made up of three islands in Southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Moroni. The religion of the majority of the population, and the official state religion, is Sunni Islam. Comoros proclaimed its independence from France on 6 July 1975. A member of the Arab League, it is the only country in the Arab world which is entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. It is a member state of the African Union, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, and the Indian Ocean Commission. The country has three official languages: Shikomori, French and Arabic.
The history of the Comoros extends to about 800–1000 AD when the archipelago was first inhabited. The Comoros have been inhabited by various groups throughout this time. France colonised the islands in the 19th century, and they became independent in 1975.
The Union of the Comoros consists of the three islands Njazidja, Mwali (Moheli) and Nzwani (Anjouan) while the island of Mayotte remains under French administration. The Politics of the Union of the Comoros take place in a framework of a federal presidential republic, whereby the President of the Comoros is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Federal legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The precolonial legacies of the sultanates linger while the political situation in Comoros has been extremely fluid since the country's independence in 1975, subject to the volatility of coups and political insurrection.
Ali Soilih M'Tsashiwa was a Comorian socialist revolutionary and political figure who served as the 3rd President of the Comoros from 3 January 1976 to 13 May 1978.
