Tanzanian troops, part of a 1,500-strong African Union force, are training for an operation to retake the rebel island of Anjouan.

Simulating beach landings on the small island of Moheli, Comoros, the Tanzanians inspired more laughter than awe as they clumsily got off their dinghies. Some dropped their rifles into the waves in the process.

Others simulating a defensive tactic gathered near a wall but it was an uphill task for many, who were clearly out of breath after a short sprint.

“Luckily there is no resistance on the beach,” a Comoros military official commented. “One strategically placed machinegun and they all would have been dead.”

The Comoros federal Government did not recognise the re-election of Colonel Mohamed Bacar, the Anjouan leader, last June and a tense stand-off is now poised to turn into an AU-backed invasion of the island by a mainly Tanzanian force backed by Senegal and Sudan. They will support a 400-strong local force.

Each of the three main islands in the Comoros, lying between Madagascar and Mozambique, has a regional president. The archipelago has survived 19 coups or coup attempts since gaining independence from France in 1975. (AFP)

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