OAU rejects Comoros peace deal

The Organisation of African Unity has rejected a peace deal for the Comoro islands in the Indian Ocean.

It was put together by the ruling junta and separatist leaders on one of the islands, Anjouan, and is due to be signed on Saturday.

An OAU spokesman told the BBC it would undermine unity and territorial integrity of the Comoros.

He said both sides had to accept the agreement brokered by the OAU last year - the Antananarivo Accord.

The new deal would give each island control of most of its affairs, but leave religion, citizenship, currency, foreign policy and defence in the hands of what, for the moment, is being called a new Comoran entity.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service