Comoros imposes night curfew as Island nation struggles with post-election violence

Moroni - The Comoros government declared a night curfew on Wednesday after the country was engulfed in post-election violence. Tensions in the island nation started to escalate after the incumbent President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani won the presidential elections by garnering over 60 percent of the votes, CGTN Africa reported. As per the announcement made by the presidential delegate responsible for defence, Youssoufa Mohamed Ali, the curfew commenced at 10 pm on Wednesday. 

“These are things that happen here and elsewhere, especially when we are beaten and we contest the results,” Comorian government spokesperson Houmed Msaidie averred. After Assoumani was declared a winner in the country's general elections, violent protests rocked the archipelago. Assoumani won a fourth five-year term after the country’s electoral body on Tuesday declared him the winner in the election which comprised five other opponents. 

Several demonstrators arrested

In response to these violent protests, the army fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the streets of the capital Moroni. Meanwhile, the Comorian government spokesperson went on to blame supporters for losing candidates for the protests. Msaidie mentioned that the country's police have managed to arrest several demonstrators. During the elections, five opposition candidates stood against Assoumani while other opposition parties have called for a boycott, accusing the national electoral commission of bias. The commission denied the accusations. Provisional results were released on Tuesday. Assoumani has ruled Comoros since first coming to power through a coup which was conducted in 1999. He garnered 62.97% of the vote in the latest election, according to the National Electoral Commission. The country of around 800,000 people in East Africa has experienced a series of coups since it gained independence from France in 1975.  The shocking fact is that the first group came just a month after independence.

(With agency inputs)