Operation Azalee
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2008-07-13T16:31:48Z
Everyking
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/* Denard Coup */
'''Operation Azalee''' was the name of a [[France|French]] military expedition to remove the provisional government of the [[Comoros]] that was led and put into power by famed mercenary [[Bob Denard]].
== Denard coup ==
Denard's fourth Comorian coup, which he called ''Operation Kaskari'', occurred in the early hours of [[28 September]] [[1995]]. Denard and 33 hand-picked mercenaries docked their ship, ''Vulcain'', at [[Moroni, Comoros|Moroni]] harbour and descended on the city, forcibly removing the figures of the official government before the ill-equipped army was aware. The invaders had been stowing away on ''Vulcain'' for more than a month, and were greeted at their arrival by vans supplied by the relatives of former president [[Ahmed Abdallah]].
The French authorities had some advance notice of the coup, as they had before. But unlike Denard's previous coups, the French government opposed the mercenaries {{Fact|date=October 2007}} and denounced Denard. Knowing this, Denard's first priority was to prevent the likely counter-coup from his homeland. In addition to political pacification measures, such as forming a civilian government, Denard also tried to recreate the 500-strong presidential guard that he had led after his second coup (1978-1989). Denard's popularity during the early 1980s enabled him to mobilise 300 supporters within five days and place them around ports and airports, where they would be most effective to ambush French invaders with [[submachine gun]]s.
== Response ==
France had advance knowledge of the coup, but refrained from preventative measures until after it had occurred. As news of the coup came, the French government denounced Denard and his mercenaries. Knowing what they would encounter on the islands, the French did not pursue their extreme numerical advantage, instead handing control to the Special Operations Command. Eventually, 400 marines and 200 other special operations experts began cruising the Indian Ocean in patrol boats and a frigate, with superior logisticians and helicopters in tow.
== Azalee ==
Making landfall at 23:00 on the 3rd of October, the [[GIGN]] immediately sought to overawe the mercenary-dissident alliance. The specialist operators had little trouble in taking both airports, the French embassy and ''Vulcain'', capturing many Denard supporters. Denard was outmanned, outgunned and outmechanised by the invaders. Although small defending forces had managed to repel attackers in the past (eg. [[Rorke's Drift]]), this would usually involve some specific advantage in intelligence, training or guerilla tactics. Knowing he had no such advantage, Denard sent the message to the men defending the barracks that they should lay down their arms if engaged by the French. The specialists encircled the barracks in the early hours of the 5th of October, and Denard was arrested at 03:00 and flown to a Parisian jail. [[List of Presidents of Comoros|President Djohar]], who was held captive in the barracks, was flown to [[Réunion]] for medical treatment.
This would be the last of four Denard coups in the Comoros, although another coup would occur on the day Denard went to trial. Since independence in 1975, the Comoros has been subject to over 20 attempts to overthrow the government. It was not a failure in all of the objectives- Djohar was refused re-entry into the Comoros until the 1996 elections, which he lost.
Four Comorians died during Azalee, nine people were wounded.
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Nofootnotes|date=February 2008}}
== Sources ==
*[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_194.shtml History of the Comoros since 1975]
*[http://www.specwarnet.net/miscinfo/azalee.htm Operation Azalee]
[[Category:Attempted coups]]
[[Category:History of Comoros]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1995]]