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Thursday, October 5, 1995
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MORONI, Comoros Islands — The mercenary who overthrew this African island nation's government refused to surrender yesterday, hours after hundreds of French commandos stormed the country from the air and the sea.
Coup's leader won't surrender
The Associated Press
Earlier, French officials erroneously reported the surrender of Bob Denard, who led a coup last Thursday. The French defense ministry quickly issued a new statement saying commandos have Denard surrounded. It said the 66-year-old Frenchman has yet to turn himself in, though he has freed Comorian President Said Mohamed Diohar.
"We're still in the same place; we're continuing to negotiate." Denard said by telephone. "I haven't surrendered. This is stand-by. We'll see tomorrow."
The ministry blamed its mistake on a French news report, which turned out to be wrong.
About 600 camouflaged French commandos landed at the airport at dawn. They commandeered a mobile stairway from the airport and drove it through streets as a portable vantage point for soldiers.
Earlier, about 40 commandos swarmed ashore on inflatable speedboats and battled with 30
Comorian soldiers and four French mercenaries, said Capt. Robert Pellegrin, the commander of the assault.
Reporters saw at least three dead and 11 wounded. French officers reported no casualties among their troops and said they took 29 prisoners.
By late yesterday, French troops had routed coup supporters and surrounded their silver-haired leader, who was holed up at the barracks where he had been holding Djohar since Thursday.
Denard allowed French special forces soldiers to walk into his military camp without firing a shot. He had said earlier he was prepared to negotiate his surrender to avoid a "bloodbath."
Denard has twice staged takeovers on this archipelago off east Africa. He said his terms of surrender would include protection for Djahar.
But the French demanded his unconditional surrender, saying they had issued an international warrant for his arrest.
Reporters saw two Comorian soldiers lying dead in the street. A taxi driver transporting a French newsman also was killed yesterday.
The French defense ministry said President Jacques Chirac made the decision to intervene late Friday, a few hours after his government said
it would not do so.
French officials declined to say exactly what prompted the change of plans, but it came amid calls by Comorian officials to intervene. The Comoros Islands has a mutual defense agreement with France, which ruled the islands until 1975.
Coup leaders had hoped to turn over control to a civilian leadership and avoid a fight with France. But a coalition of the would-be leaders collapsed Tuesday amid disagreement over what role Denand and other mercenaries would play.
Comorian Prime Minister Mohammed Caabi el-Yachroutu announced in a fax yesterday that he had formed a new coalition government supported by 13 parties. Yachroutu said he had also formed a 12-member Cabinet.
State radio broadcast appeals from Comorian military leaders involved in the coup for residents to fight the French. But on the streets, people shouted for Denand and the mercenaries to get out.
Nine of the wounded were in hospitals, doctors said, and two were at the French embassy. The injured included a French reporter and a French photographer.
Hurricane Opal heads for Florida
The Comoros, with 500,000 residents, has a history of political instability since gaining independence in 1975.
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Hurricane Opal's winds gusted up to 185 mph yesterday morning and Florida's north Gulf Coast girded itself for the strongest hurricane to threaten the region since Camille roared ashore in 1969.
"I think this one is going to clean our clock," said Tom Beliech.
Beliech was taking his family to New Orleans to avoid the storm. Hurricane Erin, which hit two months ago yesterday, "gave us a deep respect for knowing when to leave," he said.
Forecasters said they expected the storm to hit land by sunset. Tropical storm-force winds, slanting rain and the pounding surf began to thrash the shore by early afternoon.
State emergency officials ordered residents to evacuate from a 150-mile stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast, from Pensacola to Wakulla Beach south of Tallahassee.
"It is an extremely dangerous storm. It'll cause terrible damage," said Michelle Huber, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Residents of Georgia and Alabama also fled to shelters or fortified their homes and belongings.
The storm, its sustained winds just 120 mph before dawn yesterday, became a Category 4 hurricane within hours.
By mid-morning, its winds had reached 150 mph, approaching Category 5 status (155 mph winds).
At 2 p.m., EDT, Opal's center was about 120 miles south-southwest of Pensacola.
With gusts of up to 185 mph, it was moving north-northeast at about 23 mph.
Some in the Panhandle boarded up their homes with plywood and planned to ride it out.
"I'm just going to shut down all my appliances, shut all my windows and pray," said Jackie
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Williams of Panama City. "Yeah, I'm scared. It's very still and the skies are getting dark."
James M. Jesse, Attorney 865-LAWS For all your legal needs.
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