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Comoros

Union of the Comoros

Last modified: 2016-03-10 by bruce berry
Keywords: comoros | star: 5 points (white on green) | star: 5 points (green) | star: 5 points (fimbriated) | islam | stars: 4 | stars: line | law | crescent: points to fly (white) | error |
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Udzima wa Komori / L’Union des Comores / اتحاد القمر | Ātħād Ālqmr

Flag of Comoros  image by Pascal Vagnat, 31 Jan 2002

See also:

External links:

  • Page about the flag and it’s image, at the Mwzinet / Comores Online web site.
    reported by António Martins, 01 Apr 2003

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 Flagchart includes 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 (and its 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

Flag of Comoros image by Pascal Vagnat and António Martins, 30 Sep 2006

On this page of the IRINnews website by clicking on the pic 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 stiches!); 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 colors of the horizontal stripes stand for the four islands: yellow (Mohéli), white (Mayotte), red (Anjouan) and blue (Grand Comore).
Jaume Ollé, 25 Nov 2001

António Martins, 26 Mar 2006


Historical antecedents

Political situation in Comoros has been troubled for years, with more or less official support by France and South Africa to different parties, repeated intrusions of Bob Denard’s mercenaries, assassinations of presidents, expulsion of the mercenaries by French troops… Mayotte is still French, but also claimed  by the Comoros Republic. The islands of Anjouan and Moheli are 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 and Moheli 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 by one 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 on 31 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 version by 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

rec. by Pascal Vagnat image by Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002

2nd reconstruction proposed by Pascal Vagnat

rec. by Pascal Vagnat image by Pascal Vagnat, 25 Nov 2001

Design reported in local use by Iain Walker

rep. by Iain Walker image by António Martins, 02 Mar 2003

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

And here, labelled «Drapeau provisoire qui n’a pas été retenu» (the provisional flag which was not kept).
António Martins, 02 Mar 2003


Air Force plane 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 (see example).

Dov Gutterman
, 14 Jun 2004


Unknown Comoran flags

Unknown KM flag #1 image by António Martins, 24 Feb 2008

See also:

The cover picture for the film version of the 2004 play Pauvres Comores / Maskini Komori, avaliable in compact cassete tape and DVD, shows the «truculent comédien comorien Ibrahim BARWANE» clad with a ripped mantel patterned after four Comorian flags: the Anjouan flag, the Union (comorian national) flag, the former national flag, and an unknown flag - yellow over blue horizontal bicolor with crescent and four stars in a row, Comorian style, in white over all, the whole pointing to the upper fly. What would this be?
António Martins, 13 Apr 2006