Comoros occupies an increasingly strategic position in the Western Indian Ocean at the intersection of African and European geopolitical interests. The trajectory of the archipelago between 2004 and 2024 offers a compelling case for understanding political order, fragility, and survival in small and externally exposed states. This chronology of Two Decades compiles the chapters on Comoros previously published in the Africa Yearbook: Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara.
The introductory chapter examines how the country moved from decades of coups and instability to relative stability through elite bargaining, constitutional redesign, and centralized authority. It explores how political order is maintained through managed elite coordination, while questioning whether this fragile settlement can withstand pressures from the 2029 succession, migration, Mayotte, climate risks, and future resource competition.