History of the Comoros (1978–89)
The Comoros is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa. France first established colonial rule in the Comoros in 1841. Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for the Comoros to become independent in 1978. On July 6, 1975, but the Comorian parliament passed a unilateral resolution declaring independence. The deputies of Mayotte, which remained under French control, abstained. Referendums on all four of the islands excluding Mayotte showed strong support for independence. Ahmed Abdallah proclaimed the Comoros' independence on September 5, 1975 and became its first president.
Comoros at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The Comité Olympique et Sportif des Iles Comores (the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of the Comoros Islands) was recognized by the International Olympic Committee on 1 January 1993. Comoros joined Olympic competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics and have participated at every Summer Olympic Games since, though the nation has yet to debut at the Winter Olympic Games. Sydney was the second appearance by the nation in a Summer Olympiad. The 2000 Summer Olympics were held from 15 September to 1 October 2000; a total of 10,651 athletes represented 199 NOCs. The Comoros delegation to Sydney consisted of two track and field athletes: Hadhari Djaffar and Sandjema Batouli.