The head of the armed group which controls Mohéli "speaks French without accent"
Wednesday December 19, 2001 - 6h39 GMT
MORONI, 19 déc (AFP) - a man presenting himself as the head of the group of armed men which took control Wednesday morning of the island comorienne of Mohéli speaks French without accent, announced with the AFP a sure source which discussed on the telephone with him since Moroni.
The man contacted with the seat of the gendarmerie of Fomboni, the "capital" of the island of Mohéli, "was presented in the form of a head of the group and speaks French without accent", ensured this source, under cover of anonymity.
"Of the armed men unloaded this morning on Mohéli", confirmed with the AFP an officer of the army of the Comoros, from which all the men early had in the morning to gain the great military base of Kandani, to six km in the north of the capital.
The government requisitioned a plane of the private company the Comoros Aviation to take along troops on Mohéli, one learned near the company.
Armed, white and black men, of which some carrying of the hoods, early unloaded Wednesday morning on Mohéli and took the control of the buildings of the army, of the gendarmerie and of the police force, to the AFP inhabitants contacted on the telephone indicated, including one former Prime Minister, Mohamed Hassanari.
The attackers launched leaflets affirming that they were "the army of the United States" and that their intervention was related to the fight against terrorism, according to inhabitants' of Fomboni. The communications with Mohéli were then cut.
The man who presents himself as the head of the group is satisfied to read this leaflet with his interlocutor before hanging up again, specified the source.
Isn't that just like the Frogs? Can't believe anybody can speak their language except them. My wife's fluent in French, and I would be, too, with a month or so there, but I have always assured my wife that I would make sure to speak fluent French with an absolutely despicable accent, just to irritate the locals.