Coup in Comoros island

There have been 19 coups or coup attempts in 25 years of independence for the Comoros

Reports from the Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros say there has been a coup on the breakaway island of Anjouan.

The island's state radio has broadcast an announcement by a "military committee" saying it had seized power and ousted the civilian government of Said Abeid Abderemane which has ruled the island since 1999.

Residents said that soldiers had taken control of strategic points such as the airport, sea port and radio stations and that they had arrested members of the former government.

In 1997, Anjouan declared that it had unilaterally seceded from the Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros and ever since has been rocked by instability and an uncertain status.

Neither the Federal Comoros Government nor the Organisation of African Unity has ever recognised Anjouan's independence.

Separatist sheikh

Some separatist leaders wanted Anjouan to rejoin former colonial power France but Paris has never publicly encouraged this suggestion.

Living standards on the French island of Mayote are considerably higher than on the rest of the archipelago.

Before the radio announcement, Islamic leader Salim Ali Abdou, alias the "separatist sheikh", told the French news agency, AFP: "It's over. Abeid is in our hands. We and the army have taken power."

Correspondents say that the coup was staged while many of the Anjouan's political leaders were in Moheli - the federation's third island - studying a draft constitution intended to redefine relations between the Comoros islands.

There have been 19 coups or attempted take-overs in 25 years of independence.