Azali Assoumani
President
Timeline
Born on 1 January in Mitsoudjé, French Comoros.
Became President of the Council of State after staging a coup d'état.
His new proposed constitution was adopted by referendum.
Elected President of the Union of the Comoros and inaugurated on 26 May.
Won the presidential election and took office on 26 May for a five-year term.
Resigned presidency on 13 February to campaign, re-elected, and assumed office again on 3 April.
Served as Chairperson of the African Union.
Re-elected for another term as president.
Biography
Azali Assoumani, born on 1 January 1959 in Mitsoudjé, French Comoros, is a Comorian politician and military officer. He first became head of state in 1999 after a coup d'état. He served as the seventh President of the Comoros from 2002 to 2006 and again since 2016, with a brief interruption in 2019. Assoumani has been elected president in 2002, 2016, 2019, and 2024. From February 2023 to February 2024, he also held the position of Chairperson of the African Union. His current presidency has been characterized as increasingly authoritarian.
Early Life & Background
Born in 1959 in Mitsoudjé, French Comoros. No further information on family context, childhood, or early influences is provided.
Education
Assoumani received military training at the Meknes Royal Military Academy in Morocco and the École de Guerre in Paris.
Political & Professional Career
Azali Assoumani became the President of the Council of State of the Comoros in 1999 after leading a coup d'état that overthrew interim president Tadjidine Ben Said Massounde. In 2001, a new constitution he proposed was adopted by referendum, which renamed the country to the Union of the Comoros and established a rotating presidency. He resigned from the Council of State on 21 January 2002 to run for president and was subsequently elected with 75% of the vote, taking office on 26 May 2002. His first term ended in 2006. Assoumani launched a second presidential bid in 2016, winning the election and taking office again on 26 May. On 13 February 2019, he resigned to campaign for re-election, winning in the first round and assuming office again on 3 April. He was reelected for another term in the 2024 Comorian presidential election. From February 2023 to February 2024, Assoumani served as Chairperson of the African Union. In August 2024, he granted extensive powers to his son, Nour El Fath. In January 2025, his ruling party won the parliamentary election.
Key Achievements & Legacy
Staged a coup d'état in 1999, becoming President of the Council of State., Oversaw the adoption of a new constitution in 2001, renaming the country to the Union of the Comoros and establishing a rotating presidency., Elected President of the Comoros multiple times (2002, 2016, 2019, 2024)., Served as Chairperson of the African Union from February 2023 to February 2024., His ruling party won 28 out of 33 parliamentary seats in the January 2025 election.