UN General Assembly
1977

246. To this political situation, which is of much concern to the international community, we must also add the social and economic problems which are inherent in our situation, that of a developing country that has gained independence in exceptionally difficult circumstances, while a part of its territory is being occupied by a foreign Power. 247. The missions of the United Nations which went to the Comoros successively in December 1975 and in April and the beginning of September of this year have realized the poverty and the misery into which France has allowed the people of Comoros to sink. 248. In this year of 1977 there were two new catastrophes in the Comoros: one was due to the repatriation of 16,000 Comorians from Madagascar because of the distressing events in Majunga; the other to the eruption of a volcano which has completely destroyed an entire village and which has left over 5,000 people homeless.