The first revolutionary president

 

This year we commemorate the 40^th anniversary of the death of President Ali Soilihi. I remember the first time I met Ali Soilihi. It was at my home in Itsandra. He was my parents’ friend. He came for a political meeting in my father’s living room. It was in 1973 or 1974. I was a boy of only nine years old. That night he shared everybody’s hands. Even those of children like me. In my child’s view, he was four feet tall and weighed about 140 pounds. His head was as bald as a baby’s bottom. But who really was Ali Soilihi?  

His life

Ali Soilihi was born on the 7th January, 1937 in the city of Mahajunga (Madagascar). His parents were Comorian from Grande-Comore. His father, Soilihi Mtsashiwa was an elder notable from the city of Ntsudjini. He was elected departmental counsellor under the French administration in 1946. His mother was famed in the village of Shuwani. Ali was the young step-brother of Said Djohar. After his primary school, he went to the lycée Galieni in Antananarivo. But he failed his exams. He was then 18 years old. Ali Soilihi knew his way around. He went to the agricultural secondary school of Ambatobé and got his diploma at the age of 20. He was therefore recruited into the public service as an agricultural technician. After many job trainings in France, he was appointed director of the public company SODEC (Société de développement des Comores). He became popular in the peasant milieu: he founded many cooperatives and mutual funds in the agricultural sector. President Said Mohamed Cheikh once described him as ‟the most brilliant young man around”. Soilihi chose his wife from a great family of Moroni. From this marriage, he had two children: a son and a daughter.

His political struggle

Soilihi was elected for the first time as a Member of Parliament in 1967 when prince Said Ibrahim was the Head of the parliament. He and the prince were the founding fathers of a political party named Umma (the people). My father was an active member of this political movement. When Soilihi became minister under the Said Ibrahim government in 1972, my father Mohamed Chami, who was his deputy, replaced him in the House of Parliament. When Ahmed Abdallah formed the government with the coalition parties of UDZIMA (Unity), Soilihi became one of the opposition leaders of the left-wing parties. One month after the declaration of independence on 6th July 1975, he overthrew Abdallah through a coup attempt. On the 2nd of January 1976, Soilihi was sworn in as president of the new and young Comorian state.

Ali Soilihi Achievements

His regime was a revolutionary one. His political programme was simple: building a fair and just society. He was a socialist. To him socialism meant social justice, a better living, peace and freedom from imperialist powers. During his presidency, the country’s economy was booming. His policy was focused on four struggles which look similar to today’s UN Millennium Development Goals, especially in the effort to roll back poverty.  

1) Fighting illness: his government sent many students abroad to study medicine. His local committees set up many public pharmacies and received foreign assistance.

2)Fighting illiteracy: he created the ALIFU-BE Project (alphabetization) which allowed through the Paya la Shiyo (local school) in every village the teaching of all the population how to read and write.

3)Fighting hunger and malnutrition: the state nationalized and redistributed the land to the peasants in order to grow the agricultural production.

4)Decentralization and rural local governments: in order to approach the administration to its citizens, the revolutionary regime built the MUDIRIYAS(municipalities) for every 6,000 inhabitants.

His political opponents

During his presidency, some of his political rivals and adversaries were in prison or in exile. In addition, many notables in the cities and villages were against his regime because the government has forbidden the traditional great marriage. In fact, the president decreed that the wedding ceremonies should be done in one day in order to avoid the lavish gifts.  

Ali Soilihi was overthrown on 13^th May 1978 by the French mercenary Bob Denard with the helping hand of France under the Giscard d’Estaing administration. Soilihi was shot dead on 29^th May 1978 by the French mercenaries. Public commemoration of him was forbidden during the 1980s by his successor. Since the 1990s many people gather in Shuwani every year to remember him and what he did for the country. As he himself said “History is the only judge”.

Chami Mouzawar

contributing writer