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Comoros president Assoumani denies he intends to hand power to son

25 January 2025 19:53 (UTC +04:00)

Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who came to power in 1999 through a coup and has won four elections in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation since 2002, has denied he intends to hand over power to his son, APA reports citing Reuters.

Assoumani said on Thursday in a speech to supporters on the island of Moheli: "I will place my son to replace me as head of the state and the party."

However, in a statement posted on its Facebook page late on Friday, the president's office said that did not mean he intended to hand over power when he leaves office in 2029 to his son Nour El Fath.

"The government wishes to emphasise that at no time did President Azali speak of a possible succession of his son Nour El Fath, as the head of the state," it said.

"He instead spoke of 'a child' who would succeed him, knowing that it is customary in the Comoros to describe every citizen as 'a child', without necessarily speaking of one's own offspring."

The statement noted the president had previously rejected the idea of "family succession" and that his successor would have to come from Anjouan, one of Comoros' three main Islands.