History of Mayotte

History of Mayotte (and the Comoros)

Key Dates

• 965 BC: according to legend, King Solomon visits the archipelago.

• 16th century: arrival of the Portuguese, establishment of sultanates and Islam in the region.

• 17th-18th centuries: the Comoros become a stopover for European ships on the route to the Indies.

• 1822: for a few years, the Malagasy control the islands of Mayotte and Mohéli.

• 1841: France asserts its presence in the archipelago (annexation of Mayotte) and establishes a protectorate in 1886.

• 1912: end of the sultanates, the Comoros become a French colony attached to Madagascar.

• 1958-75: the Comoros are an Overseas Territory (TOM).

• 1975: independence of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli, which form (in 1978) the Islamic Republic of the Comoros. In contrast, Mayotte chooses to remain French—a decision later confirmed by referendum the following year but still contested by the Comorian government.

• 1976-97: period of instability in the Comoros, with coups, mercenaries, the assassination of a president (1989), guerrilla warfare, and the secession of Anjouan and then Mohéli, which first seek to return to France (which refuses) before demanding autonomy.

• 1990s: significant investments by mainland France in Mayotte and changes in Mahoran society.

• 1995: in response to increased Comorian immigration to Mayotte, the French government introduces a visa requirement for Comorians.

• 2000: Mayotte votes for the status of a "departmental collectivity" within France.

• 2001: after a referendum, the three Comorian islands reform the Union of the Comoros, which now has a president for the Union and one for each island.

• 2002: on January 1st, the euro becomes the sole currency in Mayotte. Increase in illegal immigration to Mayotte, primarily from Anjouan.

• 2008: the Comorian army regains control of Anjouan, which had once again entered into dissent.

• 2009: by referendum, Mayotte chooses to become France’s 101st department, effective in 2011.

• 2011: protests lasting several weeks against the high cost of living in Mayotte.

• January 1, 2014: Mayotte becomes a French outermost region integrated into the European Union.

• 2016: rising illegal immigration to the island leads to increasing tensions between Mahorans and immigrants, primarily Comorians.