Historical flags of Moheli (Comoros) (original) (raw)

This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Mwali

1830-1868 flag
French Regency (1868-1871)
1871-1886 flag
1886-1891 flag
1891-1904 flag See also:
Moheli / Mwali
Comoros
Comoros - national index
Clickable map of Comoros Other sites:
Moheli page at the World Statesmen website: Flag images mostly taken from Jaume Ollé's collection (no credit is shown) and some also from FOTW (as reported by Iain Walker, 02 Oct 2002, and António Martins, 08 Oct 2002)

1830 - 1868 flag

image by António Martins, 08 Oct 2002

The previous flag was plain red.
Jaume Ollê, 07 Aug 1997

At www.worldstatesmen.org/Comoros.htm#Mohelithis flag is labelled «1830 - 1868; 1871» and the historical synopsis states that from 1830 to 26 Apr 1886, «migrants from Madagascar establish Mwali as a separate sultanate, previously island subject toAnjouan.» In 1886 the French protectorate is established. The dates for this flag (1830-1868, 1871) point to it’s usage under sultans Ramanetaka (l.k.a. Abderremane), Raketaka Jombe Sudy (l.k.a Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane) (first rule), and the the one-year interregnum after the regency of Joseph Lambert, duc d’Imerina.
António Martins, 08 Oct 2002

Moheli has been a vassal of Anjouan since the XVIth century. In 1830, Ramanataka, brother-in-law of theKing of Madagascar, took the power, converted toIslam and became Sultan Abd-er-Rahman.
Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002, from [clv02]

Fatima Djumbe’s flag (1842-1867)

image by Ivan Sache, 13 Oct 1997 and 10 Oct 2002

In 1842, Sultan Abd-er-Rahman’s daughter Djumbe Fatima reigned under the name of Raketaka, and asked for theFrench protection againstZanzibar.
Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002, from [clv02]

The »1997« separatists in Fomboni, the main town on Moheli, also hoisted the yellow-and-black flag of Queen Fatima Djoumbe, the last ruler of Moheli before colonization by France.
Jan Oskar Engene, 06 Aug 1997, quoting from NANDO Times 1997.08.06

The flag used by Fatima Djumbe by Calvarin [clv02]: it was yellow and red, not yellow and black.
Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002

French Commander's report (1867)

image by_Ant�nio Martins-Tuv�lkin_, 22 Apr 2025

I've just been reading some old documents and find a statement from a letter from the commander of French troops on Moheli to his superior in Mayotte, dated 16 april 1867 and stating that "le pavillon du Sultan de Zanzibar [plain red] sera amené et remplacé par un pavillon mohélien. Ce pavillon est blanc bordé de rouge et chargé d'une étoile rouge à cinq branches dans l'angle inférieur du battant."
Iain Walker, 12 Jan 2007

None of the six flags presented elsewhere on this page match what Iain�s finding describes; the plain red flag is given for a time interval 1830-1868 that matches liminarly the 1867 date of the now presented document. Might this imply that this new pavillon mohélien lasted officially only one year, to be replaced with the 1868-1871 striped flag of Lambert� regency?

Either way, here�s a conjectural image of the flag as described in French - white bordered red with a five-point star at the lower fly corner.
Ant�nio Martins-Tuv�lkin, 22 Apr 2025

French Regency (1868 - 1871)

image by António Martins, 08 Oct 2002

At www.worldstatesmen.org/Comoros.htm#Moheli, a third pre-1886 is shown, a red and white flag with eight horizontal stripes, labelled «1868 - 1871». This period coincides with the regency of Joseph Lambert, duc d’Imerina.
António Martins, 08 Oct 2002

Fatima Djumbe married the son of the Sultan ofZanzibar, was exiled to Francein 1867, and resigned in favour of her son. The Council of Ministers asked for a French Protectorate, which was established on 26 April1886.
Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002, from [clv02]

1871 - 1886 flag

image by António Martins, 08 Oct 2002

The flag of Moheli between 1871 and 1886 is reported by Lucien Philippe white over red, but perhaps is really yellow over red.
Jaume Ollê, 07 Aug 1997

Apparently (considering www.worldstatesmen.org/Comoros.htm#Moheli) used during the one-year interregnum after the regency of Joseph Lambert, duc d’Imerina, and also under sultans Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane (second rule), Abderremane bin Saidi Hamadi Makadara and Mohammed Shekhe.
António Martins, 08 Oct 2002

1886 - 1891 flag

image by Jaume Ollé, 08 Oct 2002

Between 1886 and 1891 a new flag was adopted: red with white (yellow?) Arabic inscriptions. Became obsolete 25 July 1912 when the island was declared French colony.
Jaume Ollê, 07 Aug 1997

At www.worldstatesmen.org/Comoros.htm#Mohelithis is labeled «1886 - 1891».
António Martins, 08 Oct 2002

1891 - 1904 flag

image by Jaume Ollé, 08 Oct 2002

In www.worldstatesmen.org/Comoros.htm#Mohelianother flag, labelled «1891 - 1904»: It’s identical to the1868-1871 flag but with a green hoist stripe charged in the canton with a white crescent and star. Apparently used under the sultans Marjani bin Abudu Shee and Salima Machamba bint Saidi Hamadi Makadara (only in the first three years).
António Martins, 08 Oct 2002