Pretoria – The South African government has congratulated and conveyed its well wishes to newly re-elected Comoros President Ikililou Dhoinine.
In a statement, President Jacob Zuma reiterated SA’s wish to strengthen its ties with Dhoinine’s government.
He commended the people and government in that country for the steps taken in implementing a democratic transformation.
Zuma also expressed his appreciation to the out-going President of the Union of Comoros, President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, for the peaceful transfer of power following the December 2010 Presidential elections.
Dhoinine, 49, won the presidential elections in December, with 61 percent of the votes cast, according to the National Independent Electoral Commission.
The Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean has had a fractious history since independence from France in 1975, experiencing more than 20 coups or attempted coups.
Since 2001, the presidency of that country, which lies about 300km off Africa’s east coast north of Madagascar, has rotated between the three islands.
Due to this instability, the people of the Comoros are among the poorest in Africa and are heavily reliant on aid. – BuaNews
