Moroni paralysée par une grève réussie, les commerçants et transporteurs font plier le gouvernement

#Comoros Moroni paralyzed by successful strike of traders and transporters. The general strike launched on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, by the National Traders' Union (Synaco) and Usukani wa Masiwa has transformed the capital into a virtual ghost town. Shops are closed, taxis are nowhere to be found, bus stations are deserted, and sometimes even roads are blocked with stones, as was the case from the Café du Port to the old mosque, requiring the intervention of law enforcement to remove the barriers. The image of a paralyzed Moroni stands in stark contrast to the official discourse of a government that claims to be "listening" and downplays the situation by ensuring that it has addressed the main grievances. Behind this widely followed movement, since nearly 80% of shops and taxis were not operating, are two distinct but converging fronts. Traders, who denounce the abrupt adjustment of three customs taxes (consumption tax, advance tax payment, excise duty), and hauliers, exasperated by police repression and the handling of the right-hand drive vehicle issue. For traders, the protest goes beyond the simple calculation of taxes. Many claim that the reform, presented as a simple return to the "normal calculation method," has a direct impact on import prices and weakens an already debilitated economy. The demand for a 50% reduction on certain products such as iron and tiles illustrates the dismay of economic operators strangled by tax and customs pressure. For hauliers, their frustration is less with the laws than with their arbitrary application. Despite promises from the Ministry of the Interior and the Police, many motorists are denouncing the ongoing harassment and systematic confiscation of vehicles for minor offenses, well beyond the five cases stipulated in the memorandum of understanding signed with the State. Faced with this widespread movement, the government remains in denial. Finance Minister Ibrahim Mohamed Abdourazak insists that "there has been no tax increase" and that the impact of the regularization is "marginal, from 0 to 1%." The Police, for their part, claim to have released "twenty vehicles" and extended compliance deadlines for right-hand drive vehicles. However, these announcements have not been enough to defuse the anger. The Minister himself acknowledges a methodological flaw, admitting to having imposed these measures without prior consultation. But rather than questioning itself, the executive is publicly questioning the unions' "real motives," insinuating political manipulation behind the strike. While Anjouan and Mohéli have not followed suit, agreements having been reached locally, the paralysis in the capital reveals a divide between official statements and the reality on the ground. In Moroni, it's not just a handful of union members who are protesting; hundreds of merchants and transporters are expressing their distrust of a government accused of being deaf and contemptuous. Beyond the standoff, the current crisis raises a fundamental question: respect for the basic rules of the rule of law. In any country where legal certainty prevails, tax increases or adjustments must be included in the following year's finance law to allow entrepreneurs to prepare for them and adjust their forecasts. Announcing a customs reform with a significant economic impact overnight, without consultation or timeframe, further weakens an already vulnerable economic fabric and undermines trust in institutions. Wednesday's strike may be only the tip of the iceberg of a deeper malaise. By reducing demands to mere technical misunderstandings, the government risks further widening the divide with a population struggling to make ends meet. The stones erected on the capital's roads are a warning signal: behind the economic protests, a crisis of confidence threatens to burst into the open. The authorities of our Malagasy neighbors were in the same denial before the demonstrations erupted, ultimately leading to the collapse of the government. It remains to be seen whether the dialogue initiated at the Ministry of the Interior will bear fruit.