La Solitude Anjouan

Spoken: Comorees. Subtitles: English.

The Comoros Islands, former French colonies, gained their independence in 1975. The archipelago is composed of 4 islands and it is as that entity that they are recognized by the United Nations. After the independence, France broke its promise and kept one island, Mayotte, within the boundaries of its Republic in the form of an Overseas Territory. In 1995, Edouard Balladur, then Prime Minister of François Mitterrand’s government, imposed a visa to Comorians wishing to travel to Mayotte. This has consequences for many Comorian families, with members living on both sides of this illegal border.