.bmp)
.bmp)
MORONI-Comoros helicopters dropped leaflets on rebel Anjouan island on Monday, saying a military assault was imminent and telling locals to stay at home, a source close to the military said."The National Development Army informs all inhabitants that it will be in Anjouan in the coming days or, more likely, the coming hours," read the French-language leaflets, one of which was seen by Reuters.Backed by the African Union (AU), the national government of the coup-prone Indian Ocean archipelago has threatened for weeks to land on Anjouan and topple its local leader, Mohamed Bacar, who clung to power in an illegal election last year.AU forces had taken to the sea from nearby Moheli island, but had not yet assaulted Anjouan, the source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.Analysts say the African Union may be hoping to score a relatively easy victory against Anjouan to earn some international prestige to offset the failures of its struggling peacekeeping missions in Sudan and Somalia.After suffering some 20 coups or coup attempts since independence from France in 1975, Comoros is trying to shrug off a history of instability and inter-island bickering.Also on Monday, all air and sea links were cut to Anjouan and Moheli, where national Comoros and AU troops have joined forces, said Mohamed Bacar Dossar, director of the president's cabinet in charge of defense."Preparations are well under way," he told Reuters.To read more go to :
As in the days of Noah....
