# Comoros - United States Department of State

- Comoros HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Comoros				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Comoros																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																																																		f. Transnational Repression																																																																											g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																											h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																			Freedom of Peaceful Assembly																																																																																																																		c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																											f. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)																																																																											g. Stateless Persons																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption in Government																															Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																															Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, Or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Comoros during the year.Significant human rights issues included credible reports of:  arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; political prisoners or detainees; serious restrictions on free expression and media freedom, including violence and threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, and enforcement of criminal libel laws to limit expression; substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly; restrictions of religious freedom; inability of citizens to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections; extensive gender-based violence, including domestic or intimate partner violence and sexual violence; and laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, although not enforced.The government sometimes took steps to identify and dismiss officials who may have committed human rights abuses but rarely prosecuted them.  Impunity for human rights abuses was widespread.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There was one report the government or its agents committed an arbitrary or unlawful killing during the year.At a November World Cup qualifying soccer match in Moroni, a small group of fans tried to force their way into the sold-out match.  Soldiers providing security confronted them, and a soldier shot a man in the head.  It was unclear if the shooting was accidental or intentional.  Authorities transported the man to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania for medical care, but he died several days later.  The ministers of interior and justice held a press conference on November 29, expressing regret concerning the incident and promising an investigation.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution and law prohibited such practices.  There was one credible report of abusive treatment.Authorities arrested three soldiers for assaulting a civilian at the port of Mutsamudu, an incident captured on video and released on social media.  The incident possibly concerned a dispute related to the late departure of a boat.  Authorities put the three soldiers in custody, and as of October investigations continued.Impunity was a significant problem in the security forces, particularly within the military and gendarmerie.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						Prison and detention center conditions were harsh and life threatening, particularly in the prison on Anjouan island, due to overcrowding and inadequate food, water, sanitation, and medical facilities.Abusive Physical Conditions:  Overcrowding was a problem.  As of October, the prison in the capital city of Moroni on Grande Comore island held 358 inmates; according to International Committee of the Red Cross standards, the prison capacity was 60 inmates.  The prison on Anjouan held 137 detainees in one of the two prison buildings, consisting of three rooms each measuring 215 square feet and equipped with a single toilet.Detainees and prisoners normally received a single meal per day, consisting of 1.8 ounces of rice and one egg (in Moroni), red beans when available (on Anjouan), or a combination of rice and beans (on the island of Moheli).  The Red Cross provided weekly meals to prisoners on Anjouan.  Those who did not receive additional food from family members suffered food deprivation.  Other common problems included inadequate potable water, sanitation, ventilation, lighting, and medical facilities.Administration:  Authorities almost never investigated prisoner complaints.Independent Monitoring:  The government permitted the International Committee of the Red Cross and diplomatic missions to monitor prisons.  Authorities required nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to request a visit permit from the prosecutor general.  The National Commission for Human Rights and Liberties occasionally made unannounced visits to the prisons.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution and law prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court.  The government often did not observe these provisions.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						The law required judicial arrest warrants and prosecutorial approval to detain persons longer than 24 hours without charge.  The law provided for prompt judicial determination of the legality of detention and for detainees to be informed promptly of the charges against them.  A magistrate informed detainees of their rights, including the right to legal representation.  These rights were inconsistently respected.  The bail system prohibited persons on bail from leaving the country.  Some detainees did not have prompt access to attorneys or their families.Arbitrary Arrest:  There were reports of persons being temporarily detained for organizing political demonstrations, expressing their political views, or criticizing the government.Pretrial Detention:  Lengthy pretrial detention was a problem.  By law pretrial detainees could be held for no more than four months, although a magistrate or prosecutor could extend this period.  Detainees routinely awaited trial for extended periods for reasons including administrative delay, case backlog, and time-consuming collection of evidence.  Some extensions continued for several years and for many persons exceeded the maximum sentences for their alleged crimes.  For example, in August, a court acquitted a man arrested for alleged abuse and human trafficking after nearly two years’ detention.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provided for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence.  Judicial inconsistency, unpredictability, and corruption were problems.  Authorities generally respected court orders.																Trial Procedures						The law provided all defendants with the right to a fair and public trial, and the judiciary generally enforced this right.  The right to a timely trial was often denied, as lengthy delays were common.  The right to counsel at public expense for indigent defendants was rarely observed.  Although the law provided for the assistance of an interpreter, free of charge, for any defendant unable to understand or speak the language used in court, this provision was not generally implemented.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were reports of political prisoners and detainees, including periodic reports of political activists being temporarily detained without being arrested or charged with a crime.  The government permitted access by human rights or humanitarian organizations to some political prisoners.Former Governor of Anjouan Abdou Salami remained in prison under a 17-year sentence, after a March 2022 conviction for participating in an insurrection and other charges.  Former President Sambi remained in prison under a life sentence, after a November 2022 conviction for high treason.  Some observers considered the convictions politically motivated.Amnesty:  On July 5, President Azali granted pardons to 16 prisoners.  Authorities had sentenced the 16 for planning to assassinate the president or for other antigovernment actions.																										f. Transnational Repression										Not applicable.																																				g. Property Seizure and Restitution										Not applicable.																																				h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibited such actions, and the government generally respected these prohibitions.  Local commentators widely suspected the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution and law provided for freedom of speech, including for members of the press although not explicitly for other media.  Authorities imposed restrictions.Freedom of Expression:  Individuals could not criticize the government or raise matters of public interest without constraint.  Authorities reportedly detained individuals for making public statements, including online statements, critical of the president.Violence and Harassment:  Some journalists were subjected to harassment by government authorities due to their reporting.In January, authorities prosecuted journalists Andjouza Aboulheir, Abdallah Mzembaba, Toufe Maecha, and Oubeidillah Mchangama for alleging sexual assaults on interns working at the National Radio and Television Center.  Operational Director for Television Hablani Assoumani had filed a criminal complaint for defamation against the journalists.  A court sentenced them to nine months’ suspended sentences and fines of 150,000 Comorian francs ($329).Censorship or Content Restrictions for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media:  Independent media operated with a growing level of restriction and self-censorship due to government reprisal.  Some journalists practiced self-censorship due to the risk of violence and harassment, and other journalists, fearing retribution, self-censored discussions of political matters.Libel/Slander Laws:  The law criminalized libel.  Authorities enforced the law against four journalists.  The law also prohibited the propagation of non-Islamic beliefs to Muslims.  This prohibition was not enforced.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The government restricted the freedom of peaceful assembly.  The constitution and law provided for the freedom of association, and the government generally respected it.																Freedom of Peaceful Assembly						The constitution and law provided for the freedom of peaceful assembly, but the government often did not respect it.  Authorities required protest organizers to secure permits and other approvals for demonstrations of any kind, or risk detention and potential arrest for staging an “illegal” protest.On Grande Comore, authorities occasionally authorized political demonstrations but more often refused permit requests.On August 26, the government denied a request from opposition party Front Commun (Common Front) for a permit for a prayer ceremony on Anjouan to honor former President Sambi and other alleged political prisoners.  Opposition parties criticized the denial.  Security forces deployed to deter any attempt to conduct the event but made no arrests.																										c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The constitution and law provide for freedom of internal movement and foreign travel, and the government generally respected these rights.  No specific constitutional or legal provisions dealt with emigration and repatriation.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated, with some exceptions, with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, or asylum seekers, as well as other persons of concern.Access to Asylum:  The law did not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government had not established a system for providing protection to refugees.Employment:  There were credible reports the government imposed restrictions on the ability of refugees to work after their status became official; the law did not allow them to receive residence visas or work permits, documents necessary to secure employment.Access to Basic Services:  The government did not grant official status to refugees to enable access to essential services.																																				f. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)										Not applicable.																																				g. Stateless Persons										The country contributed to statelessness through laws that did not protect persons born in the country to unknown or stateless parents from becoming stateless.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																						The constitution and law provided citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																										Elections and Political Participation										Abuses or Irregularities in Recent Elections:  In 2020, observers deemed legislative elections generally free and fair, although the opposition boycotted the elections and did not recognize the results and the government did not allow them to hold meetings during the elections.  In 2019, international and domestic observers considered the presidential election neither free nor fair, and noted the election was marked by significant irregularities.  Opposition groups did not recognize the results of the election and made allegations of ballot stuffing, intimidation, and harassment.Political Parties and Political Participation:  Opposition parties faced some restrictions in organizing public rallies.Participation of Women and Members of Marginalized or Vulnerable Groups:  Some observers believed traditional and cultural factors prevented women from participating in political life on an equal basis with men.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption in Government												    																						The law provided criminal penalties for corruption by officials, but the government did not implement the law effectively, and officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity.  There were numerous reports of government corruption.Corruption:  Resident diplomatic, UN, and humanitarian agency personnel reported corruption was commonplace at all levels of the civil service and security forces.  Businesspersons reported corruption and a lack of transparency.  Citizens paid bribes to evade customs regulations, to avoid arrest, and to obtain falsified police reports.On June 27, the National Assembly adopted a new anti-corruption law, which the president promulgated on September 24.																											Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																						A few domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction to monitor or investigate human rights conditions or cases and publish their findings.  Government officials often were cooperative and responsive to their views.Government Human Rights Bodies:  By law the governmental National Commission for Human Rights and Liberties was mandated to investigate human rights abuses and make recommendations to concerned authorities.  It was independent but lacked effectiveness.																											Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence:  Rape regardless of age or gender was illegal and punishable by five to 10 years’ imprisonment or up to 15 years if the survivor was younger than age 15.  The law did not specifically address spousal rape but being married to a survivor did not exonerate the perpetrator.  Authorities prosecuted perpetrators if survivors filed charges; otherwise, authorities rarely enforced the law.  There were reports families or village elders settled many allegations of sexual violence informally through traditional means and without recourse to the formal court system.The law treated domestic violence as an aggravating circumstance, including crimes committed by one domestic partner against an existing or former partner.  Penalties include prison sentences up to five years and fines.  Authorities sometimes enforced the law.  According to the United Nations and the Ministry of Health, approximately 17 percent of women endured at least one incident of physical or sexual violence in their lives.During the year, the government opened two new listening centers on Grand Comore to support survivors of domestic violence and child abuse.Discrimination:  The law provided for equality of persons without regard to gender, and authorities generally enforced the law effectively.  The law did not address gender pay disparities, and there were reports of pay gaps in the private sector.  The UN Development Program reported women were underrepresented in leadership roles.  Societal discrimination against women was most apparent in rural areas, where women were mostly limited to farming and child-rearing duties, with fewer opportunities for education and wage employment.  For cultural and religious reasons, women were also not as active in the urban workforce as men.While men could transmit citizenship to their foreign wives, the law did not permit women to transmit citizenship to their foreign husbands.  Inheritance and property rights practices, however, favored women.  Local cultures were traditionally matrilineal, and all inheritable property was in the legal possession of women.Reproductive Rights:  There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.Barriers impeding access to sexual and reproductive health services included reduced access to and use of contraception due to insufficient awareness of their utility, the influence of religious and cultural beliefs, the noninvolvement of men in reproductive health programs, and low education levels.  Other barriers included low levels of awareness of available resources, reducing skilled health attendance during pregnancy and childbirth.  It was unclear if emergency contraception was available as part of family planning method mix.The government provided access to sexual and reproductive health services, including counseling and legal and medical support, for survivors of sexual violence through government-funded listening centers on all three islands.  Emergency contraception was available as part of the clinical management of rape cases.According to the 2020 general population and housing census, the maternal mortality rate was 195 deaths per 100,000 live births.  The UN Fund for Population Activities office in the country put the number at 72 deaths per 100,000 live births.  Major factors in the maternal mortality rate included a lack of access to skilled obstetric care and modern medical facilities, low levels of awareness of available resources, and difficulty traveling to available facilities.In rural areas, lack of access to menstrual health care and hygiene, including schools without indoor plumbing, negatively affected girls’ education.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										While the law provided for the equality of persons based on race and origin group, it did not recognize any marginalized racial or ethnic groups nor provide protections against violence.																																				Children										Child Abuse:  The law prohibited child abuse.  The government-affiliated NGO Listening and Counseling Service had offices on all three islands to provide support and counseling for abused children and their families.  The NGO routinely referred child abuse cases to police for investigation.  Police conducted initial investigations of child abuse and referred cases to the Morals and Minors Brigade for further investigation and referral for prosecution.  If evidence was sufficient, authorities routinely prosecuted cases.The Listening and Counseling Service also trained local schools on sexual abuse awareness and helped establish clubs and mechanisms in schools for reporting sexual abuse.In February, authorities trained the gendarmerie on interview techniques, trauma identification, and protection systems for child survivors and witnesses of abuse.In August, authorities arrested three gendarmes on Moheli on suspicion of sexually assaulting a girl age 16 at a wedding reception.  At year’s end, investigations continued, with two gendarmes in prison, and the third in custody at the gendarmerie facility.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage:  The legal minimum age of marriage was 18.  The government enforced the law effectively.  The government engaged in prevention and mitigation efforts.Sexual Exploitation of Children:  The law prohibited sexual exploitation, commercial sex, child sex trafficking, and involvement in pornography; it did not specifically address sale, grooming, or use of children for commercial sexual exploitation.  All forms of child sex trafficking could also be addressed under provisions criminalizing child sexual exploitation.  Since there were no official statistics regarding these matters and no reports in local media of cases, prosecutions, or convictions under these laws, it was unclear if authorities consistently enforced the law.  The law stated 18 was the minimum age for consensual sex.																																				Antisemitism										There was no known Jewish population, and there were no reports of antisemitic incidents.																																				Trafficking in Persons										See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, Or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization:  The law forbade sexual acts “against nature.”  This provision was widely understood to apply to consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults.  Authorities reported no arrests or prosecutions and did not actively enforce the law.Violence and Harassment:  Police did not incite, perpetrate, condone, or tolerate violence or harassment against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons or those reporting abuse.  There were no reports of violence against LGBTQI+ persons.Discrimination:  No laws prohibited discrimination by state or nonstate actors based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics.  The law did not specifically recognize LGBTQI+ couples or their families, nor grant them rights equal to the rights of other persons.  LGBTQI+ persons experienced cultural discrimination and could have certain rights curtailed, such as seeking employment or educational opportunities.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition:  Legal gender recognition was not available.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices:  There were no known cases of involuntary or coercive medical or psychological practices, such as forced or involuntary “conversion” therapy or other abuses.  No surgeries were performed on children or nonconsenting adult intersex persons.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly:  There were no laws restricting individuals speaking or media reporting on LGBTQI+ matters, or the ability of LGBTQI+ individuals to assemble, associate, register organizations, or convene events.  LGBTQI+ persons, however, generally did not publicly reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity due to societal pressure.  There were no local LGBTQI+ organizations.																																				Persons with Disabilities										Persons with disabilities could not access education, employment, health services, public buildings, and transportation on an equal footing with others.  The law mandated access to buildings, information, communication, education, and transportation for persons with disabilities.  The government did not enforce the law effectively.  Information and communication on disability concerns were not provided in accessible formats.  The law also prohibited discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities.  The government did not effectively enforce the law.  Despite the absence of appropriate accommodation for children with disabilities, such children attended mainstream schools, both public and private.  Persons with disabilities faced some discrimination in employment and occupation, primarily access to work sites and other problems related to accessibility.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provided for the right of workers to form and join independent unions of their choice without previous authorization or excessive requirements.  The law did not prohibit antiunion discrimination by employers in hiring practices or other employment functions, and it did not require reinstatement of workers fired for union activity.The law provided unions the right to bargain collectively, although no regulatory structure existed for collective bargaining in either the public or private sector.  The law included a mandatory conciliation process for resolving labor disputes with recourse to the courts.  The law provided for the right to strike but required an eight-day notification period and a declaration of the reason for the strike and its duration.  Civil servants had to provide 15 days’ notice.  Strikes were restricted to work-related topics.  Some categories of workers were prohibited from striking, such as members of the military, magistrates, and senior officials.  The law empowered the government to order striking workers back to work if they provided services deemed indispensable to the public.  The law did not protect strikers from retribution.The government did not effectively enforce laws protecting freedom of association, collective bargaining, and the right to strike.  Penalties for violations of these laws were commensurate with those for analogous violations, such as civil rights violations, but were but seldom applied.Common practices restricting rights included failure to pay salaries regularly or on time, mostly in the government sector, and unfair and abusive dismissal practices, such as dismissing employees without giving proper notice or paying the required severance pay.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										See the Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										See the Department of Labor’s Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at  https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings/&nbsp;.																																				d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																														e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws:  The law did not provide for a minimum wage.  The law provided for a 40-hour workweek, except in the agriculture sector, where it set the maximum hours of work at 2,340 per year (equivalent to 45 hours per week).  There were provisions for overtime pay.  Alleged violations of wage, hour, or overtime laws were common in the agriculture, fishing, and construction sectors.Occupational Safety and Health:  The law did not include appropriate occupational safety and health (OSH) standards explicitly for the main industries in the country.  Government OSH experts did not proactively identify unsafe working conditions.  Workers could remove themselves from situations endangering health or safety without jeopardy to their employment.  There were no known industrial accidents, but workers in construction, ports, public works such as road construction, fishing, and agricultural sectors sometimes experienced hazardous working conditions in violation of OSH standards.  Fishing was considered the most hazardous work.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement:  The government did not effectively enforce wage, hour, and OSH laws.  Penalties were not commensurate with those for similar violations.  Penalties were rarely applied against violators.  The Ministry of Youth, Employment, Labor, Sport, and Cultural Arts was responsible for enforcement.The number of inspectors was insufficient to enforce compliance.  Inspectors had the authority to make unannounced inspections and to initiate financial sanctions.According to the World Bank, the informal sector was estimated to be 73 percent of the total workforce, but there were no official statistics.  Workers in the informal sector were not covered by wage, hour, OSH, or other labor laws and inspections.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																				f. Transnational Repression																																																						g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																						h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																				Freedom of Peaceful Assembly																																																																																				c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																						f. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)																																																						g. Stateless Persons																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																							Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption in Government																Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, Or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Comoros
- Religious Freedom Designations HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;Religious Freedom Designations				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										Religious Freedom Designations																																		Press Statement																														January 4, 2024																																							Advancing the freedom of religion or belief has been a core objective of U.S. foreign policy ever since Congress passed and enacted the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998. &nbsp;As part of that enduring commitment,&nbsp;I have designated Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, the DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.&nbsp; In addition, I have designated Algeria, Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, Comoros, and Vietnam as Special Watch List countries for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.&nbsp; Finally, I have designated al-Shabab, Boko Haram,&nbsp;Hayat Tahrir al-Sham,&nbsp;the Houthis, ISIS-Sahel, ISIS-West Africa, al-Qa&#8217;ida affiliate Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern.Significant violations of religious freedom also occur in countries that are not designated. &nbsp;Governments must end abuses such as attacks on members of religious minority communities and their places of worship, communal violence and lengthy imprisonment for peaceful expression, transnational repression, and calls to violence against religious communities, among other violations that occur in too many places around the world.&nbsp; The challenges to religious freedom across the globe are structural, systemic, and deeply entrenched. &nbsp;But with thoughtful, sustained commitment from those who are unwilling to accept hatred, intolerance, and persecution as the status quo we will one day see a world where all people live with dignity and equality.						Tags																					Algeria																								Azerbaijan																								Burma																								Central African Republic																								China																								Comoros																								Cuba																								Eritrea																																														Human Rights and Democracy																															Iran																								Nicaragua																								North Korea																								Office of International Religious Freedom																								Office of the Spokesperson																								Pakistan																																Religious Freedom																															Russia																								Saudi Arabia																								The Secretary of State																								Tajikistan																								Turkmenistan																								Vietnam
- Comoros National Day Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateI extend my heartful congratulations to the Comorian people on the forty-eighth anniversary of your independence.This has been a watershed year in expanding our relationship with the people of Comoros. We signed a Joint Statement on Cooperation, introduced new avenues for assistance and cooperation, and Comoros hosted the visit of the highest-level U.S. official in its history. I look forward to the next chapter of our partnership as we work together on shared values such as maritime security, strengthening human rights and democratic principles, and increasing commercial ties between our nations.We wish the best as Comorian people celebrate their independence.
- Comoros HomeReportsBureau of Economic and Business Affairs2023 Fiscal Transparency Report&#8230;Comoros				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Fiscal Transparency Report: Comoros																																					Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																																																																																																				 In this section																																												Government-by-Government Assessments: Comoros																																												Government-by-Government Assessments: Comoros				During the review period, the government made significant progress by publishing its end-of-year report within a reasonable period and by reviewing its budget throughout the fiscal year. The government made its enacted budget available, but it did not make its executive budget proposal available online within a reasonable period. Information on debt obligations was publicly available, including limited information for state-owned enterprises. Budget documents provided a substantially complete picture of the government’s planned expenditures and revenue. Although budget executions deviated significantly from budget projections, the government passed a supplementary budget. The supreme audit institution met international standards of independence and audited the entire annual executed budget. It produced audit reports that contained substantive findings and effectively followed up on its findings.Comoros’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:Publishing the executive budget proposal online within a reasonable period.																												    							View report by:																				Afghanistan											Algeria											Angola											Azerbaijan											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Benin											Burma											Burundi											Cambodia											Cameroon											Central African Republic											Chad											China, People’s Republic of											Comoros											Congo, Democratic Republic of											Congo, Republic of the											Djibouti											Egypt											Equatorial Guinea											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Gabon											The Gambia											Guinea											Guinea-Bissau											Iraq											Laos											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Madagascar											Malawi											Mali											Maldives											Mauritania											Mongolia											Mozambique											Niger											Oman											Pakistan											Palestinian Authority											Papua New Guinea											Rwanda											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Sierra Leone											Somalia											South Africa											South Sudan											Sudan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Turkmenistan											Ukraine											Uzbekistan											Vietnam											Yemen											Zambia											Zimbabwe																										On This Page				search													>																										Government-by-Government Assessments: Comoros																	Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Comoros																								Division for International Finance and Development
- Remarks and Media Availability With President Azali Assoumani of the Council of State of the Comoros Richard R. Verma, Deputy Secretary of State  for Management and ResourcesMoroni, ComorosPresident Azali: &#8212; very important and also at that time very particular. The collaboration is more than needed.The US and Comoros have always had very good bilateral relationship. I remember there was an embassy in the Comoros but for  particular reason, that embassy has been transferred in Madagascar. But our hope &#8212; I just talked about that with the Deputy Secretary of State, that we would have a US embassy in Moroni to talk directly and to be able to improve that relationship and move forward regarding the challenges that we are all facing.So the visit that Mr. Richard is doing in the Indian Ocean region, Mauritius, Comoros and tomorrow in the Seychelles, it’s very important. It’s very important for the region because we live in a very strategic region in the Indian Ocean. There are a lot of potentials and opportunities regarding international cooperation, but unfortunately we know that &#8212; unfortunately piracy is a terrorism in our region. We all know what is going on in Mozambique and that’s why we need to tackle those challenges and that’s why this visit in this region is very important.So thank you to President Biden for this visit and also to ensure long-lasting collaboration and relationship.We also have a bilateral relation that we need to deepen, to strengthen. Thank you for your remarks as far as the reinforcement of the bilateral relationship. So I think, and now I’m addressing to the government, we need to have an operational administration and capitalize any investment around the cooperation of the two countries.I was invited as the G7, as the President of the African Union, but I also had the opportunity to talk about Comoros. I talked with President Biden. We’ve been talking about multilateral relationship. He said that AU would be  permanent member of the G20, so the next summit in India this year, Africa will be considered as  permanent member of G20. So we’ve been talking about that.But we also talk about security challenges. About multilateralism and a vision that we African countries would have all the potentials that we have now. Now everybody agreed that Africa has its place in the world so that we can be  member of the Security Council.So as part of the African Union we have seen acceleration of the free exchange zone. It’s a very big ambition so that Africa can be autonomous in all domains either food or health. We need to take all measures after COVID-19 to be able to fight those kind of pandemics.So it’s a very big ambition for Africa and I will accelerate it. I’ve been mentioning that to President Biden, how the US can help the CAF but also with our honorable guest related to bilateral relationships. I even asked that if it was possible to have mission of private sector here in Comoros to discuss with the private sector, the Comorian private sector, so that it ensures economic development in Comoros. We want support to reach , I think the private sector is the heart of development of the country and there is a funding that will come and in the civic education we are going to include the private sector regarding the coming elections. Election is democracy and we are used to the electoral process. We want it to be fair and free to give to a few of the countries from the international view.So we think that we are going on a very good way.Unfortunately what we see in East Africa is a little bit bad, but I think that we’ll be able to fight against it through all the years, and maybe after 2024 we will be able to really tackle those challenges.In 2006 I was defeated. I think Comoros is in a good way because I won again the election so now I’m calling my brothers from the oppositions to get together, to ensure free and fair elections so that we can convince the partners to support us.And because election is the best way to have democracy.So we are asking our partners to support the country and either the civil society, the opposition, the ruling party, so that we can move forward to get transparent and free elections.When we talk about civil society we have the media. We need professional media, so talking about the amount of money for civic education, we are going to include the media team for us to be able to have professional media team so that the media has freedom as well and be able to do their job so that we can say that the media is free professionals. We already have professional media, but some really need to deepen training to be able to reach that objective.Regarding security, because I know that everyone knows that we can’t do anything if there is no security. And about security we talk about war terrorism. So I think that after many workshops we’ll be able to fight against any challenges regarding security.So we need to prevent &#8212; if we what is going on in Russia and Ukraine. They are big countries, but if it happens to Comoros, we don’t have enough power to fight against , but we need to prevent. So we need to keep training and work with partners to be able to prevent in the framework of security, either about internal challenges or the borders. We talk about maritime security. It’s not easy. But we have partnership with the United States and France. We will be able to protect our borders with all resources so that we can capitalize our resources for the interests of the country.We will try to use those resources to fight against piracy, illegal fishing. So we need cooperation and partnership. We need support regarding what is happening in Africa &#8211; Sudan &#8211; and with Saudi Arabia, we will try to find solution in the African Union. We are really onto it and we hope that we can convince that the two parties will agree to sit down and discuss so that Sudan can find its freedom again. We can’t afford having problems in African Union countries. I think everyone is aware that many things are needed and I thank the United States for its support in Sudan.Regarding support in energy and food security, thank you so much. Climate, we are an insular country so we are really exposed in many climate challenges, especially in renewableenergy. We have potential. We need to get the maximum either in solar, geothermic, so thank you so much for your help and support. And with other partners we can move forward.This partnership with the United States in renewable energy but also what we did with fisheries already, we need to capitalize that because up to now we couldn’t capitalize resources, maritime resources. So the main goal is to be able to capitalize those resources for the development of the country.And most importantly, we need to include young people so that they are models of development for the country. We need to train our youth and they need to be trained for those coming projects.We also talked about training at the university. We will celebrate the 21st anniversary of that university, so we need partnerships to be able, to move forward. Nowadays Comorians, young Comorians, we really need adequate training. Going abroad, for example, because we need skills from abroad. We need to help each other. And also to end up. Thank you for that support. Thanks for your visit. Thank you Madame. Ambassador, because I know that you work very hard in this bilateral relationships. So hopefully we will have a US embassy here in Comoros so that we can talk more about how we can improve the bilateral relationship.I mentioned to President Biden that we are with the United States in everything we need to do multilaterally and all challenges that have been mentioned. We are ready to contribute, to move forward.Again, thank you very much.Moderator: .We are really honored to our country today His Excellency Richard Verma, Deputy Secretary. After Mauritius he is here in the Comoros and after here he will be in the Seychelles.After this meeting with His Excellency, the President of the Republic we are going to have the declaration first from Myanmar, and then remarks from the President of the Republic. We will then take four questions. Two questions for the D-MR and two questions for the President of the Republic. Then we will take a picture afterwards, and then we will get refreshments. Thank you very much.Mr. Secretary of State, the floor is yours.Deputy Secretary Verma: Good morning everybody. Thank you so much, President. Thank you for your warm hospitality.It’s incredible to visit Comoros for the first time. I only wish I could stay longer to see more of your beautiful country.My visit follows the African Leaders Summit which President Biden hosted in December. At that summit the President committed to 2023 as a year of deep US engagement and travel across Africa. We’ve already seen this with Vice President Harris, Secretary of State Blinken and others, and we’ll see more before the year is done. I’m proud to visit Comoros and to be the most senior U.S. diplomat to ever visit this beautiful country.My visit also comes in a year when Comoros is the Chair of the African Union for the first time. I want to congratulate the President and the people of Comoros for this historic opportunity to demonstrate leadership among African nations to solve African problems. And to contribute to our shared effort to address the global challenges we all face, from climate change to food insecurity to global health.I want to commend the President for his leadership that he’s demonstrated so far as the African Union Chair. Thank you, Mr. President. And in particular for supporting international action to end the fighting in Sudan and ensure humanitarian access.I have traveled all the way to Moroni to deliver a simple message on behalf of President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Blinken and the American people to the Comoros people, we value and intend to deepen our relationship with Comoros.In the past two years our bilateral relationship has made tremendous progress. We will further expand our relationship in five key areas: development assistance, democracy and governance, security cooperation, economic and commercial ties, and people to people ties.Let me start first with development assistance.Today I am pleased to announce that we plan to provide $5 million for Comoros in development assistance to support food security, energy, and workforce development. This funding will make a real difference in the lives of ordinary citizens.Second, we will partner on efforts to promote democracy, good governance and human rights. That is why in preparation for your 2024 elections we plan to provide $600,000 to support civic education. This will help the people of Comoros understand their rights and obligations to bolster democracy.Third, we are committed to expanding our security partnership. The United States understands the importance of maritime security in Comoros and we intend to provide drones and associated training, subject to our congressional notification, to help Comoros secure its maritime domain.Fourth, we will seek to grow our economic and commercial ties, particularly in renewable energy and fisheries. As one example, Gigawatt Global signed an MOU in March to invest up to $100 million over five years to develop renewable energy in Comoros. And I am pleased to announce that the US government’s Power Africa Initiative will support Comoros in its efforts to expand clean energy availability through technical support including transaction advisory services.Stronger ties between people foster stronger ties between nations. So today we are opening a newly renovated American Corner at the University of Comoros. A state-of-the-art venue which will allow the people of Comoros to join conversations, both in person and virtually, about important issues that face your community and our world.Thank you again, Mr. President. Thank you for welcoming our delegation so warmly. I look forward to working with you in the weeks and months ahead.Q: Good morning, Mr. Deputy Secretary. I have one question for the Deputy Secretary about good governance and democracy. for public media or creation of independent trust. I also want to know in your program, are you going to  the opposition party as well?Deputy Secretary Verma: I think the subject of democracy promotion is very important. It’s also part of our shared values between our two countries.The program that we’ve announced today is about civic education and about elections specifically and how to participate in the elections and why elections are so important for citizen participation. Hopefully this is just the beginning of our work in this field of democracy which includes so many other areas. As you mentioned, the importance of a free press, strong civil society, an active electorate. Those are all key components of our democracy work around the world.I don’t think we’re meeting with any of the opposition officials today, but it really is more because of my schedule and the fact that we’re here for such a short time. But I look forward to coming back and continuing to work on these programs in much greater detail. I think today, again, it’s a very exciting announcement, not only in democracy but in our other areas, in environment and energy and so much more.Q: I will ask a question to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary of State.You mentioned initiative for the population, but will there be possibility for scholarship for students?Deputy Secretary Verma: Is he talking about scholarships to the United States?One of the great things about the State Department is that we run a range of fellowship opportunities, study opportunities, partnership opportunities. So as we increase our contacts with the country here I think we can look at the whole range of programming that’s available, not only sponsored by the U.S. government but by private foundations as well.There’s a whole bureau in the State Department that focuses on these kinds of exchange programs and what this creates is a longstanding partnership where we have lifetime partners and colleagues that we can work with, and a very strong alumni network throughout Africa and the world.I will tell you personally, my father was the recipient of a Ford Foundation Fellowship in 1963 to go from India to the United States. Fifty years later, his son went back as the US Ambassador. So it’s a good story.Q: A question for the President.Mr. President, good morning. In your remarks you called your opposition to contribute in a free and fair election. The opposition is asking that the Army would be in, would be here during the election.And about  you mentioned, Deputy Secretary of State.President Azali: Regarding the second question, I told him that the United States is our friend so we will ask them to be our mediator, but we discussed about it, we didn’t really deepen that subject.So about election, they understood, the United States understood that we need their support. For 20 years, during those 20 years there has been many changes. But of course we still need, a lot needs to be done. In 20 years we’ve seen a lot of improvement, ruling party and the opposition.We have, I think we can be very proud of our progress, but I reiterate the call to the opposition to work together to reach democracy. Democracy is that elections should be done in a free and transparent way. And together, and I emphasize together, we can all benefit from it. We can all contribute to move forward.So when we talk about security, be assured we will talk about with the observers, how like we used to do it. How can we have efficient security? So we don’t see only military people moving around and frightening people. We need to make sure that we don’t have boycotts during elections. We need to make sure that it’s transparent. The military can stay where they are, but if there is something wrong we can always call them. How we can secure those elections?Now we will ask help from the international community, how they can support us to move forward. But I am confident we already have a opposition here. We already have some discussions. So if you still have other concerns, we can always discuss, but the main objective is to have a free and transparent election so that in 2030 we can convince our partners to accompany us in our progress.Thank you.Now we invite Mr. President and the Deputy Secretary and the Ministers to take pictures.
- Comoros HomeReportsOffice to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons2023 Trafficking in Persons Report&#8230;Comoros				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Trafficking in Persons Report: Comoros																																					Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons																																																																																																				 In this section										/																							COMOROS (Tier 2)																																													COMOROS (Tier 2)																															PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS:																																																																																		PROSECUTION																																																																																		PROTECTION																																																																																		PREVENTION																																																																																		TRAFFICKING PROFILE:																																																																																																								COMOROS (Tier 2)				The Government of Comoros does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Comoros was upgraded to Tier 2. These efforts included identifying more trafficking victims and referring all victims to services; investigating more trafficking crimes, including a fraudulent recruiter; and establishing specialized anti-trafficking investigation units on Grande Comore and Anjouan. The government finalized a national referral mechanism (NRM) to refer victims to services. The government continued to disseminate and train officials on victim identification procedures and increased training for law enforcement on victim-centered, trauma-informed investigation techniques. The government established and dedicated personnel to the National Committee on the Prevention of Illegal Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons (NCTIP) to enhance inter-ministerial coordination on anti-trafficking efforts. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. The government did not initiate any new trafficking prosecutions and has never convicted a trafficker. The lack of short-term shelter and long-term housing for victims continued to adversely affect the government’s ability to adequately protect trafficking victims. The government did not have a national action plan (NAP), and anti-trafficking efforts on Anjouan and Mohéli remained minimal.																																					PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS:						    																																															Expedite the prosecution of alleged traffickers following case referrals by law enforcement and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.Amend trafficking provisions in the penal code to prescribe penalties for adult sex trafficking that are commensurate with penalties prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape.Expand the availability of shelters to victims of all forms of trafficking – including male and foreign victims – and allocate adequate resources and staffing to shelters.Continue to increase anti-trafficking training to front-line officials, including law enforcement, social workers, health service providers, prosecutors, judges, and civil society, on Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli.Systematically and proactively identify trafficking victims by screening for trafficking indicators among vulnerable populations across Comoros, including children in domestic work, children attending Quranic schools, and individuals repatriated from the French Department of Mayotte, and refer all victims to appropriate services.Develop, implement, and fund a multi-year NAP to combat trafficking.Dedicate and allocate funding for NCTIP.Implement and consistently enforce strong regulations and oversight of labor recruitment companies, including eliminating recruitment fees charged to migrant workers and holding fraudulent labor recruiters criminally accountable.Expand anti-trafficking public awareness campaigns to all of Comoros, specifically targeting vulnerable populations on Anjouan and Mohéli.Develop a national-level data collection system on trafficking crimes, including anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts and trafficking victims identified.																																												PROSECUTION						    																																															The government increased anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. February 2021 amendments to the criminal code criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Article 266-11 of the new criminal code prescribed penalties of seven to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 30 million Comorian francs ($65,000) for crimes involving an adult victim, and 10 to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 30 million Comorian francs ($65,000) for those involving a child victim. These penalties were sufficiently stringent. However, the penalties prescribed for adult sex trafficking were not commensurate with those prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. The government coordinated with an international organization to draft the country’s first standalone anti-trafficking law; the draft was pending approval by the national assembly for the second consecutive reporting period.The government investigated four trafficking cases – three for labor trafficking and one for sex and labor trafficking – in 2022, the same number of investigations reported in 2021. The government did not initiate any new prosecutions; however, it referred three new cases for preliminary procedures. In the previous reporting period, the government referred one case for preliminary procedures, which also remained pending, without prosecution yet initiated by the Ministry of Justice. The government has never reported convicting a trafficker. The government investigated and arrested one government employee allegedly complicit in facilitating human trafficking crimes. Police continued to lack basic resources, including vehicles, fuel, and equipment, which limited their ability to investigate trafficking cases outside Moroni. Additionally, the small number of prosecutors in the country – one per island – contributed to severe case backlogs, including trafficking cases referred for prosecution. While discouraged by the government, families or village elders continued to settle many allegations of violence, possibly including sex trafficking and child domestic servitude, informally through traditional means without recourse to the formal court system.The government established the National Brigade for the Repression of Illegal Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons (NBTIP), a specialized investigation unit on Grande Comore mandated to investigate cases of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. The NBTIP was composed of 16 officers from the police, gendarmerie, and civil security. In November 2022, the government established an NBTIP on Anjouan. The government, both independently and in partnership with international organizations, trained members of the NBTIPs, police, gendarmerie, immigration authorities, and other officials on victim-centered investigation techniques, child-friendly interviewing, victim identification, and relevant trafficking laws. Comorian authorities collaborated with the Governments of Madagascar and Tanzania on trafficking cases. The government continued to pursue collaboration with the Government of France to investigate trafficking cases on Mayotte; however, reciprocation of these efforts by French officials remained limited.																																												PROTECTION						    																																															The government increased victim protection efforts. The government identified 14 trafficking victims in 2022 and referred all victims to care, compared with eight victims identified and referred to care in 2021. Of the 14 victims identified, traffickers exploited 10 in labor trafficking and four in both labor and sex trafficking; traffickers exploited three in Comoros and 11 abroad in Oman and Tanzania. All 14 victims were female; 12 were adults, and two were children; and 12 victims were Comorian nationals, while two were foreign nationals from Cameroon. The government, in partnership with an international organization, continued to disseminate and provide training on its SOPs for victim identification to law enforcement – including the newly established NBTIPs on Grande Comore and Anjouan – and other government stakeholders. Using the SOPs, the government continued to increase efforts to screen vulnerable populations, including foreign migrants and victims of abuse, for trafficking indicators. The government, in partnership with an international organization, finalized and formally adopted an NRM to complement the victim identification SOPs and refer victims to protection services.The government partnered with international organizations and local NGOs to provide services to all 14 identified victims, including temporary housing, medical care, counseling, job training, and repatriation assistance. The quality of care and availability of services on Anjouan and Mohéli remained limited compared to those available on Grande Comore. The government continued to provide financial support, including salaries for employees and office space, to listening centers (Service d’Ecoute). The listening centers, with assistance from civil society, continued to offer medical care, psycho-social counseling, and legal assistance mostly to women and children who were victims of abuse and violence, including potential trafficking victims. The government continued operating listening centers in four locations – two on Grande Comore, one on Anjouan, and one on Mohéli. The listening centers continued to provide assistance to victims of various forms of abuse, some of whom may have been trafficking victims. There was limited shelter availability in the country to assist trafficking victims, which often resulted in government officials or community members providing temporary shelter to victims in their personal homes. The government remained without a systemic victim-witness assistance program. The government did not provide legal alternatives to removal of foreign trafficking victims to countries where they might face hardship or retribution; however, in practice, the government provided foreign victims the same benefits as Comorian nationals. Comorian law allowed victims of crime, including trafficking, to receive restitution from the government or from traffickers through civil suits.																																												PREVENTION						    																																															The government maintained efforts to prevent trafficking. The government established the NCTIP to lead the government’s anti-trafficking efforts, replacing the Anti-Trafficking Task Force. The government appointed representatives from relevant government agencies, listening centers, and civil society to NCTIP. NCTIP coordinated on trafficking cases and held its first formal meeting in February 2023; however, the government did not allocate dedicated funding to NCTIP. The government remained without an anti-trafficking NAP; however, it continued to reference the 2020 action plan, which delegated specific, short-term actions to relevant government agencies. The government, in partnership with international organizations, conducted awareness campaigns targeting local authorities, religious leaders, and the general public on Grande Comore; the government did not report conducting awareness campaigns on Anjouan or Mohéli. The government continued to fund two toll-free emergency lines on Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli, which were used to report crimes to the listening centers; however, the government did not track call data related to potential trafficking victims.The Ministry of Labor employed three labor inspectors to enforce child labor laws; however, the inspectors did not receive training on relevant trafficking laws and did not receive sufficient operational resources to conduct proactive labor inspections of informal work sites, where children were especially vulnerable to forced labor. Labor inspectors responded to complaints across Comoros, primarily in hotels, restaurants, and the construction sector; however, the government did not report efforts to identify potential trafficking crimes during these inspections. There were no formal labor recruitment agencies in the country, and the government remained without effective policies or laws to monitor labor migration. The government did not prohibit worker-paid recruitment fees. Unregistered recruitment agencies continued to operate and facilitate recruitment through informal channels, and some agents used predatory tactics, including charging recruitment fees and fraudulent job advertising. A 2012 ban on labor migration to several Gulf states the government considered high-risk remained in place; the policy restricted Comorians’ access to safe and legal migration, subsequently increasing their vulnerability to trafficking. In 2022, police reported arresting one individual acting as an informal, fraudulent recruiter. The government began drafting bilateral labor agreements with the Governments of Kuwait, Madagascar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates to enhance protections for migrant workers. An informal task force continued to oversee working conditions of Comorians living and working abroad, including assisting in the repatriation of trafficking victims. The government did not provide anti-trafficking training to its diplomatic personnel, nor did it make efforts to reduce demand for commercial sex acts.																																												TRAFFICKING PROFILE:						    																																															As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Comoros, and traffickers exploit victims from Comoros abroad. Traffickers exploit women and children, particularly from rural areas, in domestic servitude and sex trafficking on Grande Comore and Anjouan. Traffickers on Anjouan may subject children, some of whom were left behind by parents in pursuit of economic opportunities in other countries, to labor trafficking in domestic service, roadside and market vending, baking, fishing, and agriculture. Families living in rural areas, often on Anjouan and Mohéli, frequently send their children to live with wealthier relatives or acquaintances in urban areas or on Grande Comore for access to schooling and other socio-economic benefits; these children are vulnerable to domestic servitude and sex trafficking. Most Comorian children ages 3 to 7 (and some as old as 14) study at informal neighborhood Quranic schools headed by private instructors, where they may be vulnerable to labor trafficking as field hands or domestic servants to supplement payment for instruction. The estimated 3,000 to 4,000 unaccompanied Comorian children on Mayotte are especially vulnerable to domestic servitude and sex trafficking. Traffickers exploit Comorian adults in forced labor in agriculture, construction, and domestic work on Mayotte and continental Africa. Traffickers exploit Comorian women in domestic servitude in Gulf states, particularly Oman. Traffickers exploit Malagasy women and girls in domestic servitude and sex trafficking in Comoros. Economic migrants and asylum-seekers from other African countries, including Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Uganda, attempting to reach Europe via Mayotte are increasingly transiting Comoros; traffickers often exploit these migrants in labor or sex trafficking in transit or on Mayotte.																																				    							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- U.S. Engagement in Comoros Office of the SpokespersonBilateral Relationship and U.S. AssistanceThe United States and Comoros signed a Joint Statement of Cooperation in February 2023.COVID Support: The United States has provided 250,380 safe and effective COVID-19 doses in partnership with COVAX.Development: USAID and the Department of State have reprogrammed $5 million in foreign assistance to Comoros for food security, energy, and workforce development programs.Democracy: The Department of State, through the Africa Regional Democracy Fund, intends to provide, working with Congress, funding to increase civic participation for women and youth, and provide training on combating disinformation and corruption.Maritime Security:The United States is working with Congress to finalize a package of maritime security assistance, including UAVs and associated training to increase Comoros’ maritime domain awareness.The Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs supports Comoros maritime security efforts through regional training and a dedicated UN Office of Drugs and Crime mentor supporting the Comorian Coast Guard.The Department of State Bureau of International Security and Non-Proliferation has provided capacity-building support to Comoros maritime administration since 2019 to improve the Comoros international ship registry’s ability to implement sanctions targeting DPRK and Iran.
- Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Verma’s Meeting with Comorian President Azali Office of the SpokespersonThe below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma met in Moroni, Comoros, with Comorian President Azali Assoumani.  Deputy Secretary Verma congratulated President Assoumani on his selection as Chair of the African Union.  They discussed the growing bilateral relationship between Comoros and the United States, including ways the United States can partner to create a stronger and more prosperous Comoros, based on our mutual respect for democratic governance and commitment to uphold the rules-based international order.  The leaders also spoke about opportunities for the United States and Comoros to facilitate regional integration and cooperation to address shared challenges.
- Deputy Secretary Verma’s Travel to Mauritius, Comoros, and Seychelles Office of the SpokespersonDeputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma will travel to Mauritius on May 29-30, Comoros on May 30-31, and Seychelles on May 31-June 1, a demonstration of the U.S. elevating its partnerships across Africa and deepening engagement in the Indian Ocean Region. He will be the most senior State Department official to ever visit Comoros, and the most senior State Department official in over 20 years to visit Mauritius and Seychelles.In Mauritius, Deputy Secretary Verma will meet Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and take part in the ground-breaking for a new $300 million U.S. Embassy compound, which reflects the continued growth of an already robust bilateral relationship. The Deputy Secretary and Prime Minister will discuss continued cooperation in advancing shared values and interests in the Indian Ocean Region, including improving maritime security and promoting sustainable development that supports tourism and the blue economy. The Deputy Secretary will also meet President Prithivirasing Roopun, Opposition Leader Xavier-Luc Duval, and other officials. While in Mauritius, he will also meet with Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Secretary General Salman Al Farisi. As a Dialogue Partner with IORA since November 2012, the United States has had a productive relationship with the organization. Deputy Secretary Verma will underscore the United States’ commitment to the Indian Ocean Region and our shared goals, especially in areas of climate resilience, protecting oceans, food security, and global health.In Comoros, Deputy Secretary Verma will meet with President and AU Chairperson Azali Assoumani and other government officials to discuss our growing bilateral relationship, U.S. engagement in the region, and Comoros’s leadership of the African Union this year. The Deputy Secretary’s engagements will highlight five key areas where the United States and Comoros are making significant progress together: democracy and governance, development assistance and food security, security cooperation, economic and commercial engagement, and people-to-people ties. While in Moroni, he will open a revitalized American corner and engage with U.S. partners in Comoros.In Seychelles, Deputy Secretary Verma will meet President Wavel Ramkalawan and discuss U.S. plans for increasing its diplomatic presence in-country to facilitate greater cooperation on shared priorities, especially maritime security, ocean conservation, fighting corruption, and advancing democratic norms. In addition to meeting Foreign Minister Sylvestre Radegonde and Anti-Corruption Commissioner May de Silva, the Deputy Secretary will hold a roundtable discussion on democracy and free speech with Seychelles youth, some of whom formerly participated in exchange visits to the United States.
- Comoros HomeReportsOffice of International Religious Freedom2022 Report on International Religious Freedom&#8230;Comoros				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Comoros																																					Office of International Religious Freedom																																																																																							Download Report																																																																																	 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															Section I. Religious Demography																																																																																		Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																																									Legal Framework																																																																											Government Practices																																																																																	Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																																																		Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																																																																								Executive Summary				The constitution specifies Islam is the state religion and defines the national identity as being based on a single religion – Sunni Islam – but proclaims equality of rights and obligations for all, regardless of religious belief. The constitution also specifies that the principles and rules that regulate worship and social life be based on Sunni Islam under the Shafi’i doctrine. Proselytizing for any religion except Sunni Islam is illegal, and the law provides for deportation of foreigners who do so. The law prohibits the performance of non-Sunni religious rituals in public places on the basis of “affronting society’s cohesion and endangering national unity.”There were no reports of arrests for Comorians engaging in other religious practices, but members of non-Sunni groups reported broad self-censorship and stated they practiced their beliefs only in private. Shia Muslims continued to report limited government surveillance during major religious holidays. For the third consecutive year, there were no reports of national leaders making public statements against religious minorities. Multiple religious minority group leaders said that 2022 had been “quiet and peaceful” and again attributed the government’s relative restraint to engagement from the United States and others on religious freedom issues. Private Shia commemorations of all Eid holidays, Ramadan, and Ashura proceeded peacefully on the three islands. Shia Muslims on Anjouan said that local authorities continued to prevent them from practicing in the Shia mosque that had existed on the island for several years; they were forced to worship in a Shia community center instead.There continued to be reports that local communities unofficially shunned individuals who were suspected of converting from Islam to Christianity or from Sunni to Shia Islam.Representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar, (which is accredited to Comoros) engaged on issues of religious freedom with government officials, including the president and officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Justice, focusing on the importance of individuals having the ability to practice their religion freely and of government officials refraining from statements criticizing religious minorities. During the December U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom met with a delegation of senior Comorian government officials to discuss the status of freedom of religion or belief in the country. Embassy representatives also discussed religious freedom with religious and civil society leaders and others, including members of minority religious groups.On November 30, 2022, in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as amended, the Secretary of State again placed Comoros on the Special Watch List for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.																														Section I.													 Religious Demography												    																																															The U.S. government estimates the total population at 876,437 (midyear 2022), of which 98 percent is Sunni Muslim.  Roman Catholics, Shia Muslims, Ahmadi Muslims, and Protestants together make up less than 2 percent of the population.  Non-Muslims are mainly foreign residents and are concentrated in the country’s capital, Moroni, and the capital of Anjouan, Mutsamudu.  Shia and Ahmadi Muslims mostly live on the island of Anjouan.																																					Section II.													 Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																																Legal Framework										The constitution states Islam is the state religion and citizens shall draw principles and rules to regulate worship and social life from the Shafi’i school of Sunni Islam. The preamble “affirms the will of the Comorian people” to cultivate a national identity based on a single religion, Sunni Islam. It proclaims equality of rights and obligations for all individuals regardless of religion or belief. In addition to the constitution, a law establishes the Sunni Shafi’i doctrine as the “official religious reference” and provides sanctions of five months’ to one year’s imprisonment, a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 Comorian francs ($217-1,100), or both, for campaigns, propaganda, or religious practices or customs in public places that could cause social unrest or undermine national cohesion.The law prohibits anyone from insulting a minister of religion in the exercise of his functions, punishable by a fine of 50,000 to 150,000 francs ($108-325), and it provides that anyone who strikes or assaults a minister of religion in the exercise of his function will be punished with imprisonment of one to five years.Proselytizing for any religion except Sunni Islam is illegal, and the law provides for the deportation of foreigners who do so. The penal code states, “Whoever discloses, spreads, and teaches Muslims a religion other than Islam will be punished with imprisonment of three months to one year and a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 Comorian francs” ($108-1,100). The law also states, “The sale [or] the free distribution to Muslims of books, brochures, magazines, records and cassettes or any other media teaching a religion other that Islam” will be punished with the same penalties.There is no official registration process for religious groups. The law allows Sunni religious groups to establish places of worship, train clergy, and assemble for peaceful religious activities. It does not allow non-Sunni religious groups to assemble for peaceful religious activities in public places, although foreigners are permitted to worship at three Christian churches in Moroni, Mutsamudu, and Moheli, and foreign Shia Muslims are permitted to worship at a Shia mosque in Moroni.The law prohibits proselytizing or the performance of non-Sunni religious rituals in public places, to avoid “affronting society’s cohesion and endangering national unity.” Without specifying religion, the penal code provides penalties for the profaning of any spaces designated for worship, for interfering with religious leaders in the performance of their duties, or in cases where the practice of sorcery, magic, or charlatanism interferes with public order. The new penal code, adopted in February, provides a penalty from one to six months imprisonment and a fine of 150,000 to 750,000 francs ($325-$1,600) for those offenses.According to the constitution, the Grand Mufti is the highest religious authority in the country. The president appoints the Grand Mufti, who manages issues concerning religion and religious administration. The Grand Mufti heads an independent government institution called the Supreme National Institution in Charge of Religious Practices in the Union of the Comoros. The Grand Mufti counsels the government on matters concerning the practice of Islam and Islamic law.The law provides that prior to the month of Ramadan, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Council of Ulema publish a ministerial decree providing instructions to the population for events that month.The government uses the Quran in public primary schools for Arabic reading instruction. There are more than 200 fee-based schools with Quranic instruction that also receive some support from the government. The tenets of Islam are taught in conjunction with Arabic in public and private schools at the middle and high school levels. A new education law adopted in May provides that “pre-elementary education (for ages three to five years) aims at acquiring the first elements of the Muslim religion,” including two years of initiation and familiarization with cultural values and the Muslim religion.The country is a signatory but not a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.																																				Government Practices										Shia leaders stated that 2022 was “quiet and peaceful” and that recent years had been unlike the turbulent years 2017 and 2018 when relations between Sunni and Shia countries in the Middle East were especially tense (i.e., Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies versus Iran and its predominantly Sunni ally Qatar). Private Shia commemorations of all Eid holidays, Ramadan, and Ashura were allowed to proceed and did so peacefully on all three islands. Shia followers practiced their religion and celebrated their holidays in private homes or community centers without interference of the government.Shia Muslims continued to report government surveillance during major religious holidays. For the third consecutive year, the president and other political leaders refrained from making public statements against religious minorities. One religious minority group leader attributed the government’s relative restraint to sustained international engagement from the United States and others related to the issue.During the year, they were no reports of any arrests of religious minorities, but members of Shia and other non-Sunni groups reported broad self-censorship and stated they practiced or spoke about their beliefs only in private. Shia and Ahmadi Muslims stated that they were not able to worship publicly and that government authorities sometimes attended religious gatherings held in private homes to monitor their practices but did not interfere.Ahmadi Muslims stated the tract of land on the island of Anjouan that was the site of an Ahmadi mosque seized and destroyed by local authorities in 2017 had not been returned to them. Shia Muslims on Anjouan continued to state that local authorities prevented them from practicing in the Shia mosque that has existed on the island for several years. Instead, they were forced to worship in a Shia community center that only has a rooftop space for prayer, exposing them to the elements. Ahmadi and Shia Muslims on Anjouan stated they did not live in fear of immediate violence but needed to exercise caution and self-censorship in day-to-day activities to avoid attracting unwanted attention from local authorities.The status of an application by expatriate Christian community members for a license to build a new nondenominational church was unclear, but most observers believed the application remained stalled. Community members previously reported they had been waiting for more than four years for a government response to their application.																																					Section III.													 Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																															There were continued reports that local communities unofficially shunned individuals suspected of converting from Islam to Christianity.  Societal abuse and discrimination against non-Muslim citizens persisted, particularly against Christians or converts from Islam. Non-Muslim foreigners reported little to no discrimination.Most non-Sunni Muslim citizens reportedly did not openly practice their faith for fear of societal rejection, and some Shia Muslims reported being harassed by Sunni Muslims.  Societal pressure and intimidation continued to restrict the use of the country’s three churches to noncitizens.  Christians reported they would not eat publicly during Ramadan so as not to draw attention to their faith.																																					Section IV.													 U.S. Government Policy and Engagement												    																																															There is no permanent U.S. diplomatic presence in the country. The ambassador and representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Madagascar visited the country frequently and engaged with government officials on issues of religious freedom, including with the president and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Justice, focusing on the importance of religious tolerance and of individuals’ being able to practice their religion freely.During the December U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom met with a delegation of senior Comorian government officials, including Interior Minister Farqi Fakradine and Senior Advisor to the President Nour Azali, to discuss the status of freedom of religion or belief in the country.Embassy representatives met with a diverse group of Muslim and Christian religious and civil society leaders, including Sunni, Shia, and Ahmadi Muslims, on issues of religious freedom. The embassy also used social media posts to highlight the importance of religious freedom and diversity and to engage with civil society and the general populace.On November 30, 2022, in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as amended, the Secretary of State placed Comoros on the Special Watch List for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.																																				    							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Religious Demography																																																	Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																							Legal Framework																																																						Government Practices																																																			Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																	Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																							Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Comoros																								Office of International Religious Freedom																																Religious Freedom