History of Mayotte

Pre-colonial history

As for the islands of the archipelago of the the Comoros, the first migrations begin at the 8th century. The first Sultanat would have been established under the names of Maoré or Mawati towards 1500, which would also correspond to the first meetings with the Westerners.

Colonial period

For the period of 1500 with 1843 to see the List of the sultans of Mayotte.

1832 : Conquered by Andriantsoly, King of Iboina to Madagascar.
1833 : Conquered by Mohéli.
November 19th 1835: Conquered by Anjouan.
1836 : Independence.
March 25th 1841: Establishment of a Protectorate French which is ratified the June 13rd 1843. Mayotte depends administratively on the Governor of the Réunion.
December 9th 1846: Royal decree relating to the abolition of slavery with Mayotte.
1846 - 1886: Mayotte, sugar colony.
1864 : First public school with Dzaoudzi.
March 30th 1896: Protectorate extends on the unit from the archipelago, Mamoudzou is the capital.
July 25th 1912: Annexation by the France ; the whole of the archipelago is under administrative dependence of Madagascar.
December 1974: It is the only island of the archipelago to be voted positively with the Référendum S to preserve its bonds with the France. The other islands declare their independence. The vote is of 63,8% in favor of the conservation of this bond, whereas it is only of 0,6% in the other islands (either 99,4% against). The company mahoraise, more still than those of the other islands of the Comoros, then very little is influenced by the Western lifestyle and lives at the rate/rhythm of the traditional Moslem life.
December 24th 1976: Mayotte confirms its first vote and becomes a Territorial collectivity. The General meeting of the United Nations and the African Union condemn. If the French right applies, the Moslem traditional right can be also there applied to the liking of justiciable by the local courts chaired by the Cadi S (of Arabic قاد meaning judge).

Mayotte, French community

Since 1975, the island of Mayotte is always asserted by the Union of the Comoros and the African Union recognizes this territory like occupied by a foreign power. In 1976, RFI of the Comoros seized the Safety advice of the United Nations which refuses the application of recognition of the sovereignty of the RFI of the Comoros on Mayotte by 11 votes for and a voice against (“French veto”). During this time, the elected officials of Mayotte, strongly pushed by the population, try to obtain France the statute of French Département in order to ensure a final anchoring of the island within the French Republic.

Starting from the Years 1990, one notes a strong French economic investment and a deep change of the company mahoraise.

In 1995: Vis-a-vis the growth of immigration coming from the other Comorian islands, the government Balladur abolishes freedom of movement between Mayotte and the remainder of the Comoros. The Comorians are consequently subjected to the mode of the visas. The January 27th 2000, the political principal parties of Mayotte sign “the agreement on the future of Mayotte” and its construction in departmental Community.

The July 11th 2001, a new election approves to 73% the modification of the statute of the island which changes for a statute rather close to that of the overseas departments : a departmental community of overseas. The March 28th 2003, the French constitution is modified and the name of Mayotte is enumerated in article 72 concerning overseas.

Side of the Comoros, the question of Mayotte loses little by little its importance. Thus, since 1995, the question of Mayotte was not registered any more with the day order of the general meeting of UNO. In 2005, the colonel Azali Assoumani, president of the Comoros since 1999, declared that “ it is not used any more for nothing to remain fixed in our antagonistic positions of antan, consisting in protesting that Mayotte is Comorian, while mahorais them them say French ”. He will thus authorize Mayotte has to present to the Jeux islands of the Indian Ocean under his own banner.

Since fastening in France, clandestine immigration coming primarily from Anjouan (the island nearest) did nothing but be accentuated. In 2005, about half of taken back at the border carried out in France were it in Mayotte.

This question of immigration creates local tensions today. Until now, the Comorian clandestine immigrants, come to seek Eldorado, were often used as cheap labor, under work conditions close to the condition of slave, current practice since years and exerted in all impunity by certain contractors mahorais. Today, whereas the interior policy of France was tightened and that local demography does nothing but increase, the desire to drive back these clandestine towards the Comoros is felt more and more. No structure exists to help these clandestine, no social service except DDASS, and the co-operation between France and the Comoros remains embryonic on the question of health, in spite of the presence of medical French co-operators with Anjouan.

Dzaoudzi-Labattoir was the transitory chief town of Mayotte. Mamoudzou became the chief town by ministerial decree about it.

External bonds

Explanation of vote of the representative of France at the safety advice of UNO on the question of the Comoros

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