Azali Assoumani

Azali Assoumani, a Comorian politician and military officer, was born in French Comoros on January 1, 1959. He received military training in Morocco and Paris.

Azali Assoumani staged a coup d'état in 1999, overthrowing interim president Tadjidine Ben Said Massounde and becoming the President of the Council of State of the Comoros.

Azali Assoumani's proposed constitution was adopted by referendum on December 23, 2001. The new constitution established a rotating presidency and granted considerable autonomy to the Comorian islands.

Azali Assoumani was inaugurated as the President of the Union of the Comoros on May 26, 2002, after winning the multiparty 2002 Comorian presidential election.

Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi from Anjouan succeeded Azali Assoumani after winning the 2006 presidential election, as mandated by the constitution.

In the first round of the 2016 Comorian presidential election on 21 February, Assoumani came third with 14.96% of the vote.

Assoumani won the second round of the 2016 Comorian presidential election with 40.98% of the vote on 10 April, amid disputes and allegations of irregularities and electoral fraud.

A third round of voting in the 2016 Comorian presidential election took place on 11 May, and Assoumani was declared the winner with 41.43% of the vote by the Constitutional Court on 15 May.

On 13 February 2019, Assoumani resigned the presidency to campaign for re-election in the 2019 Comorian presidential election on 24 March.

On 28 September 2022, Assoumani was one of only seven heads of state who met with Japanese Emperor Naruhito on the occasion of the state funeral for Shinzo Abe, Japan's former prime minister, in Tokyo.

Azali Assoumani became the Chairperson of the African Union in February 2023.

In July 2023, Assoumani, in his capacity as Chairperson of the African Union, attended the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, where Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to continue efforts to posture Russia as a more attractive ally to African partner states than Western liberal democracies.