Agence France-Presse,
FOMBONI, Comoros: Two ships carrying African Union troops mandated to retake the rebel Comoros island of Anjouan left port overnight, port sources said on Monday.
Another three ships carrying mostly Tanzanian and Sudanese soldiers were preparing to steam Monday morning from Fomboni, capital of the island of Moheli, where 1,500 African Union troops had been preparing for the operation to retake Anjouan.
The federal government of the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Comoros did not recognise the re-election of Anjouan leader Colonel Mohamed Bacar in June 2007, and the operation to remove him from Anjouan has received broad support from the African Union.
The African Union troops practiced beach landings Sunday
