List of heads of state of the Comoros facts for kids
Quick facts for kids President of theUnion of the Comoros قائمة رؤساء جزر القمر Président de l'Union des Comores |
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Term length | Five years,
renewable once
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Constituting instrument | Constitution of the Comoros (2001) |
Inaugural holder | Ahmed Abdallah (State of the Comoros; First president of the Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros) Ali Soilih (State of the Comoros; First president) Azali Assoumani (Union of the Comoros) |
Formation | 27 October 1977 |
Succession | Line of succession |
Deputy | Abolished, Vice-President of the Comoros |
Salary | 53,557,291 Comorian francs/117,060 USD annually |
This article shares information about the heads of state of the Comoros. These are the leaders who have guided the country since it became independent from France in 1975.
Contents
Presidential Term Limits
The Comoros has rules about how long a president can serve. A new set of rules, approved in 2018, allows the president to serve for two terms. Each term lasts five years.
Before these new rules, the presidency used to rotate. This meant that the leader would come from a different island each time. The islands of Anjouan, Grande Comore, and Mohéli would take turns holding the top job.
Leaders of Comoros
Here is a list of the people who have served as the head of state in the Comoros. The country has had different names over the years.
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Title | Term of office | Political party | ||
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Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
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1 | Ahmed Abdallah (1919–1989) |
President of the Government (until 7 July 1975) Head of State |
6 July 1975 | 3 August 1975 | 28 days | UDC | |
2 | Said Mohamed Jaffar (1918–1993) |
Chairman of the National Council of the Revolution (until 10 August 1975) Chairman of the National Executive Council |
3 August 1975 | 3 January 1976 | 153 days | RDPC | |
3 | Ali Soilih (1937–1978) |
Head of State (until 28 October 1977) President |
3 January 1976 | 13 May 1978 | 2 years, 130 days | RDPC | |
4 | Said Atthoumani | Chairman of the Politico-Military Directorate | 13 May 1978 | 23 May 1978 | 10 days | Independent | |
![]() ![]() ![]() (République fédérale islamique des Comores) (Jumhuriyat al-Qumur al-Itthadiyah al-Islamiyah) |
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– | Ahmed Abdallah & Mohamed Ahmed (1919–1989) (1917–1984) |
Co-Chairmen of the Politico-Military Directorate (until 22 July 1978) Co-Chairmen of the Directorate |
23 May 1978 | 3 October 1978 | 133 days | UDC | |
(1) | Ahmed Abdallah (1919–1989) |
Chairman of the Directorate (until 25 October 1978) President |
3 October 1978 | 26 November 1989 † | 11 years, 54 days | UDC | |
– | Said Mohamed Djohar (1919–2006) Acting |
Acting President | 27 November 1989 | 20 March 1990 | 113 days | UDC | |
5 | Said Mohamed Djohar (1919–2006) |
President | 20 March 1990 | 29 September 1995 | 5 years, 193 days | UCP | |
- | Combo Ayouba (c. 1952–2010) |
Coordinator of the Transitional Military Committee | 29 September 1995 | 2 October 1995 | 3 days | Military | |
– | Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim & Said Ali Kemal Acting (1936–1998) (1938–2020) |
Acting President | 2 October 1995 | 5 October 1995 | 3 days | National Union for Democracy (Comoros) Party of Unity and Fraternity of the Islands |
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– | Caabi El-Yachroutu Mohamed (born 1949) Acting |
Interim President | 5 October 1995 | 26 January 1996 | 113 days | Rally for Democracy and Renewal | |
(5) | Said Mohamed Djohar (1919–2006) |
President | 26 January 1996 | 25 March 1996 | 59 days | Rally for Democracy and Renewal | |
6 | Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim (1936–1998) |
President | 25 March 1996 | 6 November 1998 † | 2 years, 226 days | Rally for Democracy and Renewal | |
– | Tadjidine Massounde (1933–2004) Acting |
Interim President | 6 November 1998 | 30 April 1999 | 175 days | Independent | |
7 | Colonel Azali Assoumani (born 1959) |
Chief of Staff of the National Development Army (until 6 May 1999) Head of State |
30 April 1999 | 23 December 2001 | 2 years, 237 days | Military | |
![]() (Union des Comores) / الاتحاد القمر (dzima wa Komori) |
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(7) | Colonel Azali Assoumani (born 1959) |
Head of State | 23 December 2001 | 21 January 2002 | 29 days | Military | |
– | Hamada Madi (born 1965) Acting |
Interim President | 21 January 2002 | 26 May 2002 | 125 days | Republican Party (Comoros) | |
(7) | Azali Assoumani (born 1959) |
President | 26 May 2002 | 26 May 2006 | 4 years | CRC | |
8 | Ahmed Sambi (born 1958) |
President | 26 May 2006 | 26 May 2011 | 5 years | Independent | |
9 | Ikililou Dhoinine (born 1962) |
President | 26 May 2011 | 26 May 2016 | 5 years | Baobab Movement | |
(7) | Azali Assoumani (born 1959) |
President | 26 May 2016 | 13 February 2019 | 2 years, 263 days | CRC | |
– | Moustadroine Abdou (born 1969) Acting |
Interim President | 13 February 2019 | 3 April 2019 | 49 days | CRC | |
(7) | Azali Assoumani (born 1959) |
President | 3 April 2019 | Incumbent | 6 years, 114 days | CRC |
Timeline of Leaders

What Happens if a President Leaves Office?
The Comorian Constitution has clear rules for what happens if a president cannot continue their term. This could be due to death, resignation, or other reasons.
- If the president leaves office within the first 900 days (about 2.5 years) of their term:
* The government ministers choose one of themselves to be the "Interim President." * New elections must be held within 60 days. * The person who wins these elections finishes the rest of the original five-year presidential term.
- If the president leaves office after the first 900 days of their term:
* The Governor of the island that currently holds the presidency takes over. * This Governor serves as president until the end of the original five-year term. * After that, regular elections are held as planned.
Latest Presidential Election
The most recent presidential election in the Comoros took place in 2024. Here are the results:
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
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Azali Assoumani | Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros | 99,541 | 57.02 | |
Salim Issa Abdillah | Juwa Party | 19,325 | 11.07 | |
Mohamed Daoudou | Orange Party | 17,854 | 10.23 | |
Bourhane Hamidou | Independent | 17,569 | 10.06 | |
Mouigni Baraka | Democratic Rally of the Comoros | 17,497 | 10.02 | |
Aboudou Soefou | TSASI | 2,796 | 1.60 | |
Total | 174,582 | 100.00 | ||
Valid votes | 174,582 | 91.26 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 16,715 | 8.74 | ||
Total votes | 191,297 | 100.00 | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 338,940 | 56.44 | ||
Source: CENI[Usurped!] |
More About Comoros
- History of the Comoros
- List of colonial governors of the Comoros
- List of prime ministers of the Comoros
- List of sultans in the Comoros
- Politics of the Comoros
- Vice-President of the Comoros