Historical flags of Anjouan (Comoros)

Last modified: 2003-04-05 by antonio martins
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• Introduction
• Before 1883
• 1833-1850(?)
• Ca. 1850
• 1850(?)-1893, 1997-2000 (separatist) and 2001- (subfederal)

• Anjouan / Nzwani / Mawana

• Anjouan page at the World Statesmen website: Flag images mostely taken from Jaume’s collection (no credit is shown) and some also from FOTW.
  reported by Iain Walker, 02 Oct 2002, and António Martins, 08 Oct 2002

Introduction

In 1816, the Sultan of Anjouan, threatened by Zanzibar, asked for the protection of the Governor of Bourbon Island (now La Réunion). On 21 April 1886, following the African Big Scramble, France established a Protectorate, which was strengthened on 8 January 1892. Anjouan was a Colony between 1912 and 1914, and later incorporated into the Comoros.
Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002

Before 1833

Once was another flag similar to the Kawasin flag of Ras al Khaymah, Sharjah and Khor Kalba.
Jaume Ollé, 05 Jun 1997

According to http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Comoros.htm#Anjouan, this flag, ~1:2 plain (dark?) red, was used until 1833. What is the story behind the dark shade? Anything to do with the later flag with hand, apparently really of a darker shade (comparing with known medium red flag)?
António Martins, 01 Apr 2003

1833-1850(?)

According to http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Comoros.htm#Anjouan, this flag, ~2:3 red with wide white border, was used from 1833 to an unspeciefied 19th cent. date. Was this the «No. 2 Flag» of the General Maritime Treaty 1820? But, how so, if Anjouan was already a French protectorate since 1816?...
António Martins, 01 Apr 2003

Ca. 1850

According to http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Comoros.htm#Anjouan, this flag, ~2:3 red-white-red vertical triband with black divehi (?) letters on the white panel, was used circa 1850.
António Martins, 01 Apr 2003

1850(?)-1893, 1997-2000 (separatist) and 2002- (subfederal)

Accordigng to Flggenmitteilung 31, this is the last flag of the sultan of Anjouan.
Jaume Ollé, 05 Jun 1997

According to a report, the separatist movement in Anjouan adopted the name Mawana, after a sultan that once ruled the island. A short note in The Indian Ocean Newsletter (764 10.05.1997: p. 4) said that «elements of Mwawana sawed down the flagpole flying the national flag and hauled up the white [?] emblem of the late sultan».
Jan Oskar Engene, Jun 1997

The flag used by the Anjouani separatists was the personal standard of the last Sultan, Omar. This information was communicated in 1980 to L. Philippe [phi02] by Said Ali Kemal, the Comorian Ambassador in France, who was the nephew of the Sultan of Anjouan and one of the sons of the Sultan of Grande Comore.
Ivan Sache, 18 Jul 2002