BAKU – At a recent conference in Baku addressing the contentious issue of Mayotte Island, Mohamed Toihiri, former Comoros Union ambassador to the United Nations, strongly criticized France for its continued control over the island, asserting that it contradicts international law.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Toihiri highlighted France’s historical and ongoing attempts to consolidate its hold over Mayotte despite clear international mandates. He detailed France’s history of interference in the region, including staging coups and imposing visa policies designed to curb the local population’s mobility since Mayotte’s disputed referendum on independence in 1976. Despite a 74% vote in favor of independence leading to the recognition of Comoros by the African Union and the UN Security Council, France has persistently maintained control, often bypassing international decisions.

Toihiri emphasized that France’s actions represent a continuation of colonial practices and called on the international community to intensify pressures on France to relinquish its hold on Mayotte, suggesting that their ongoing presence undermines the sovereignty and the will of the Comorian people as expressed in multiple referenda and international resolutions.