e US assert various claims to Bajo Nuevo and
Serranilla Bank

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

IDPs: 1.8-3.5 million (conflict between government and illegal armed
groups and drug traffickers) (2007)

Illicit drugs:

illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading
coca cultivator with 167,000 hectares in coca cultivation in 2007, a
6% increase over 2006, producing a potential of 535 metric tons of
pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives;
supplies cocaine to most of the US market and the great majority of
other international drug markets; in 2007, aerial eradication
dispensed herbicide to treat over 153,000 hectares with another
67,000 hectares manually eradicated, but aggressive replanting on
the part of coca growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a
significant portion of non-US narcotics proceeds are either
laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso
exchange; important supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy
cultivation is estimated to have fallen 25% between 2006 and 2007
with a corresponding estimated 27% decline in the yield of pure
heroin to 1.9 metric tons; (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Comoros

Introduction
Comoros

Background:

Comoros has endured more than 20 coups or attempted coups since
gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of
Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999,
military chief Col. AZALI seized power in a bloodless coup, and
helped negotiate the 2000 Fomboni Accords power-sharing agreement in
which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and
each island maintains its own local government. AZALI won the 2002
Presidential election, and each island in the archipelago elected
its own president. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI
took office. Since 2006, Anjouan's President Mohamed BACAR has
refused to work effectively with the Union presidency. In 2007,
BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union, refusing
to step down in favor of fresh Anjouanais elections when Comoros'
other islands held legitimate elections in July. The African Union
(AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying
sanctions and a naval blockade on Anjouan, but in March 2008, AU and
Comoran soldier