Ali Soilih: a short biography

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Flag of the "tat comorien" under the rule of Ali Soilih (1975197!"
Ali Soilih, full name Ali Soilih, (Ara#ic$ %&'() *&+, -anuary 7, 19.7 / 0ay 19, 197!" 2a3
a 4omorian 3ociali3t re5olutionary and political figure6
Contents

1 7iography
o 161 8i3e to po2er
o 161 8e5olutionary program
o 16. 4on3e9uence3
1 Aftermath
. See al3o
: 8eference3
Biography
Soilih 2a3 #orn in 0a;unga, 0adaga3car6 <e 3pent much of hi3 early life there, and 2a3
educated in 0adaga3car and France6 =uring the early 19>?3, he tra5eled to 4omoro3,
2here he 2orked in agriculture and economic de5elopment6
Rise to power
@n 197?, Ali Soilih entered politic3 a3 a 3upporter of Said @#rahim, leader of the =emocratic
A33em#ly of the 4omoran Aeople, Rassemblement dmocratique du Peuple
Comorien(8=A4"6
B1C
<e 3oon de5eloped an ideology of ho3tility to2ard3 France a3
the former colonial po2er6 <i3 idea3 2ere 3ome2hat influenced #y 0aoi3m, although he
did not renounce hi3 @3lamic principle36
B1C
Dn Augu3t ., 1975, le33 than a month after 4omoro3 gained independence from France,
Soilih o5erthre2 Are3ident Said 0ohamed -affar and #ecame head of a re5olutionary
council that took o5er 4omoro36 Soilih, 2ho3e adherent3 2ere #arely armed, hired French
mercenary 7o# =enard to o5erthro2 Ahmed A#dallah6 <e officially #ecame Are3ident of the
re5olutionary council in -anuary 197>6 <e ac9uired eEten3i5e po2er3 under the term3 of a
ne2 con3titution
B.C
and implemented 3ociali3t economic policie36 @n 1977 he held a
referendum on hi3 pre3idency, 2ith 5>6>.F of 5oter3 endor3ing it6
Bcitation neededC
Revolutionary program
Soilih em#arked on a re5olutionary program that 2a3 mainly directed again3t the countryG3
traditional 0u3lim 3ociety6
Bcitation neededC
<i3 5i3ion, #a3ed on a miEture of 0aoi3m and @3lamic
philo3ophie3, 2a3 to de5elop the 4omoro3 a3 an economically 3elf3ufficient and
ideologically progre33i5e @3lamic modern 3tate6
4ondemned a3 2a3teful and cum#er3ome, certain inherited cu3tom3 of 4omorian culture
2ere a#oli3hed, like the GAndaG, the traditional "grand marriage",
B:C
a3 2ell a3
traditionalfunerary ceremonie3, 2hich 2ere criticiHed for #eing too co3tly6 Soilih ad5anced
the cau3e of the youth #y di3couraging the 3tudy of hi3tory and allo2ing young people to
take more po2er6 @n order to reach hi3 goal, he lo2ered the 5oting age to fourteen and put
teenager3 in po3ition3 of re3pon3i#ility6 Among the mo3t 3triking of hi3 reform3 2ere
mea3ure3 de3igned to gain the fa5or of the youth, like the legaliHation of canna#i3 and
promoting the remo5al of the 5eil among the 2omen of 4omoro36
B5C
Soilih created the G0oi33yG, a young re5olutionary militia trained #y IanHanian military
Bcitation
neededC
ad5i3er36 Ihe 0oi33y 2a3 a 4omorian 5er3ion of 0ao JedongG3 8ed Kuard3, and it3
method3 2ere 3imilar to tho3e that had #een employed #y their 4hine3e counterpart during
the 4ultural 8e5olution6
B>C
0oi33y unit3 terrori3ed 5illage3 and 3pecialiHed in 5iolent attack3
again3t con3er5ati5e elder3, formerly re5ered old men6
B7C
Consequences
A3 a re3ult of SoilihG3 confrontational policie3, France, the former colonial po2er in the
i3land3, terminated all aid and technical a33i3tance program3 to 4omoro36 Ihe teenage
0oi33y 2ere percei5ed
Bby whom?C
a3 a repre33i5e political police,
Bcitation neededC
and their
intimidation tactic3 and often random and chaotic acti5ity cau3ed 2ide3pread re3entment
among the 4omorian population6
Bcitation neededC
Iheir humiliation
BvagueC
at the hand3 of the 0oi33y
and the undermining of their authority alienated the traditional leader3 of the 4omoro3 2ho
re3ented the progre33i5e elimination of ageold tradition36 Kro2ing di3content promoted #y
the political oppo3ition re3ulted in four un3ucce33ful coup attempt3
Bcitation neededC
again3t the
Soilih regime during it3 t2o and a halfyear eEi3tence6
B!C
Dn 0ay 1., 197!, Soilih 2a3 finally o5erthro2n #y a fiftymem#er Luropean mercenary
unit, hired #y eEiled former leader Ahmed A#dallah in France and led #y French 4olonel
7o# =enard 6
Bcitation neededC
A#dallah #ecame pre3ident, SoilihG3 policie3 2ere re5er3ed, and the
name of the country 2a3 changed to "@3lamic Federal 8epu#lic of the 4omoro3"6
B9C
Dn 0ay
19, Soilih 2a3 3hot and killed, according to the go5ernment, he had attempted to e3cape
from hou3e arre3t6
B1?C
Aftermath
0ore than 1? year3 later, in 19!9, SoilihG3 older half#rother, Said 0ohamed =;ohar,
o5erthre2 A#dallah, po33i#ly 2ith the help of =enard6 <e 3er5ed a3 pre3ident of 4omoro3
until 199>6
Ihe effect3 of the 3ocial policie3 of Ali Soilih are 3till apparent in the 4omoro3, particularly
on An;ouan6
B11CBvagueC
References
16 Jump up ^ "4omoro3$ Ihe 7reak 2ith France"6 4ountry =ata6 8etrie5ed 0ay
1., 1?1.6
16 Jump up ^ "<i3toire de3 4omore3$ Ali Soilih (19.7197!"" (French)6 02eHiMet6
8etrie5ed 0ay 1., 1?1.6
.6 Jump up ^ The Europa World Year oo!, N1 Iaylor O Franci3 Kroup
:6 Jump up ^ "Pe Anda, Krand 0ariage comorien 3ou3 Ali
Soilih" on QouIu#e (French)6 QouIu#e6 Septem#er 1:, 1??!6
56 Jump up ^ French, <o2ard (1997"6 "Ihe 0ercenary Ao3ition" (3u#3cription
re9uired"6 Transition 73$ 11?1116
>6 Jump up ^ "4omoro3$ Ihe Soilih 8egime"6 4ountry =ata6 8etrie5ed 0ay 1.,
1?1.6
76 Jump up ^ "Rnion of 4omoro3"6 Al<aka2ati6 8etrie5ed 0ay 1., 1?1.6
!6 Jump up ^ "4omoro3$ Security 4oncern3"6 4ountry =ata6 8etrie5ed 0ay 1.,
1?1.6
96 Jump up ^ Pehtinen, Ierhi6 "Ihe Sece33ioni3t 4ri3i3 in the 4omoro3 @3land3"6
4onflict Iran3formation Ser5ice36 8etrie5ed 0ay 1., 1?1.6
1?6 Jump up ^ "LE4omoro @3land 4hief 8eported Shot to =eath While Irying to
L3cape"6 The "ew Yor! Times6 0ay 19, 197!6 (3u#3cription re9uired"
116 Jump up ^ 8u3h#y, Se5in (Dcto#er 1, 1??1"6 "Another day, another coup"6 The
#uardian6