Comoros (original) (raw)

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Udzima wa Komori / L�Union des Comores / اتحاد الق&#

image by Pascal Vagnat, 31 Jan 2002

Description of the flag
Meaning of the flag
Historical antecedents
Legal texts
Reconstructed images of the new flag
Air Force markings

See also:

Comoros - national index
Comoros (clickable map):
- Grand Comore / Ngazidja
- Anjouan / Nzwani
- Moheli / Mwali
- Mayotte / Maore (unrecognized claim)

Description of the flag

The triangle seems to be both equilateral and reaching the center of the flag, and the flag ratio is (consequently) ≅3:5.
Jan Zrzavy, 31 Jan 2002

Shipmate Flagchartincludes the new Comorian flag (with a triangle reaching the center of a flag and with flag ratio 2:3) as a "new flag established by referendum". As a source, the Flag Research Center is mentioned.
Jan Zrzavy, 10 Jan 2002

There is a page about the current flag (andits image), at the Mwzinet / Comores Online web site. Comparing it with the image above, the shade of yellow seems darker (because it touches white?), while blue and green look lighter and “greyer” — perhaps because the image is overexposed? The looks also longer than one and a half the height of the flag (an incorrect depiction in official use) and the crescent is more “banana-like” (and much uglier) with the stars stacked by its side, not “inside” it.
António Martins, 02 Mar 2003

Design of the stars

The upright stars of some most Comoros flag images were based on the official model supplied when the flag was adopted.
Christopher Southworth, 01 Oct 2006

Stars pointing outwards

image by Pascal Vagnat and António Martins, 30 Sep 2006

Onthis page of the IRINnews website by clicking on the picture we get a large photo of a Union flag with a different arrangement of the stars.
Paraskevas Renesis, 13 Apr 2006

In this IRINnews photo the stars are pointing to the fly. It may be the official design, and perhaps even the only one in local use, as the legal documents about the flag do not detail the orientation of the stars.
António Martins, 13 Apr 2006

The (huge) photo is still on line but not the article it was shown in. Anyway, the validity of this flag is up to anyone’s guess; we can only be sure that such a flag exist (for the photo is detailed enough to count the stitches!); expert botanists may try to guess the location based on the canopy visible in background… For what it is worth, IRINnews is expected to deliver on-location stories.
António Martins, 30 Sep 2006

Meaning of the flag

The colours of the horizontal stripes stand for the four islands: yellow (Mohéli), white (Mayotte), red (Anjouan) and blue (Grand Comore).
Jaume Ollé, 25 Nov 2001

Blue stripe for Grand Comore, which has a mainly blue island flag;
red stripe for Anjuoan, which has a mainly red island flag;
yellow stripe for Moheli, which has had mainly yellow flags and has now a mainly red flag but with a large yellow part, a color which is missing in all other islands’ flags;
white for the irredentist claim on Mayotte? (there’s an unofficial arms-on-white flag);
green triangle for the federation (and forIslam?), whose flags have beenalmost always mainly green and from which the current islands autonomy evolved (?).

António Martins, 26 Mar 2006

Page about the flag and itsimage, at the Mwzinet / Comoros Online web site.
reported by António Martins, 01 Apr 2003

Historical antecedents

Political situation in Comoros has been troubled for years, with more or less official support by France andSouth Africa to different parties, repeated intrusions of Bob Denard’s mercenaries, assassinations of presidents, expulsion of the mercenaries by French troops…Mayotteis still French, but also claimed by the Comoros Republic. The islands ofAnjouan and Moheliare in quasi-permanent state of secession from the Comoros Republic, sometimes aspiring to be re-attached to France.Historically, the Comoros islands have been amongst the rare states to volunteer for to become a French protectorate because these micro-states were permanently threatened by Omani pirates (whose capital was at that time at Zanzibar) and the neighbouring powerful Malgachian kingdoms (not to speak about local rivalries and succession conflicts). Anjouan was a sultanate andMoheli a kingdom.
Ivan Sache, 12 Sep 1999

The republic of Comoros was overhauled, getting a new name, flag, and constitution as part of a deal to end a three-year secessionist push byone of its three islands, a senior government official said. The reconciliation deal was signed Saturday by military ruler Col. Azali Assoumane and separatist leader Lt. Col. Said Abeid Abderemanein, the secretary general in the president’s office said Tuesday. The secretary general, Mahmoud Saleh, said the overhaul will take place within the next 18 months. "A lot is to change in Comoros, including symbols of the state such as the name of the republic, the national flag, and constitution", Saleh said. "But our internationally recognized borders and unity are to remain intact".
Phil Nelson, 07 Sep 2000, quoting from The Bergen Record

A political deal was signed between Comorian military leader Assoumani and Anjouan separatist leader Abeid. Some confederacy called a "new Comorian entity" will be created.
Jan Zrzavy, 28 Aug 2000

The new name is: UDZIMA WA KOMORI /L’UNION DES COMORES
Chrystian Kretowicz, 01 Feb 2002

According to the BBC, about 75% of votes cast were in favour of the new constitution of Comoros, with a 70% turnout in the Sunday referendum.
Jan Zrzavy, 26 Dec 2001

On 23 December 2001, a new Constitution was adopted, which prescribed a new flag, which was hoisted on31 December 2001.
Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002

Legal texts

White crescent and white stars on green triangle

(in English)

Art. 1

The Comorian Union is a Republic, made of the autonomous islands of Mwali (Mohéli), Maoré (Mayotte), Ndzuwani (Anjouan), N’gazidja (Grande Comore).

The national emblem is yellow, white, red, blue, with a crescent towards the right and four white stars aligned from an extremity of the crescent to the other, in a green isosceles triangle.

translated by Jòan-Francés Blanc, 23 Jan 2002

Green crescent and stars

(in English)

Art.1

Union of Comoros States - Comorian Union is a republic, composed by Mayotte, Anjouan, Grande Comore and Mohéli.

The national emblem is Red, Yellow, Blue, White, four stars and a green crescent.

translated from the French versionby Jerôme Sterkers, 23 Jan 2002

(in Comorese)

Kan. 1

Wo Udzima wa Komori wo Jamhuri ya tsanganya ye zisiwa za Mwali, Ndzuwani, Ngazija na Maore ikao ngizona uhuru wa ndani.

Ye beramu ya twayifa nyikudu dzindzanu bile njeu nyora 4 na mwezi wa uheya wa mrututu.

quoted by Jerôme Sterkers, 23 Jan 2002

(in French)

Art.1

L’Union des Etats des Comores - Union des Comores est une République, composée des îles-Etats de Mwali, Ndzuani, N’gazidja et Maoré.

L’emblème national est [Rouge, jaune, bleu, blanc, 4 étoiles, un croissant vert]

quoted by Jerôme Sterkers, 23 Jan 2002

Reconstructed images of the new flag

1st reconstruction proposed by Pascal Vagnat

image by Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002/p>

2nd reconstruction proposed by Pascal Vagnat

image by Pascal Vagnat, 25 Nov 2001

Design reported in local use by Iain Walker

image by António Martins, 02 Mar 2003

This flag is availablehere(image).
Joàn-Francés Blanc, 23 Jan 2002

Andhere, labelled «_Drapeau provisoire qui n’a pas été retenu_» (the provisional flag which was not kept).
António Martins, 02 Mar 2003

Air Force markings

Like many other small states, Comores Military Aviation (founded 1976) operates small number of cargo and utility planes and two Helicopters. The book [cos98] reports the national flag as fin flash and naturally shows the old flag (seeexample).

Dov Gutterman, 14 Jun 2004