Mahoran status referendum, 2009

A referendum on becoming an overseas department of France was held in Mayotte on 29 March 2009. Mayotte had been an overseas collectivity of France since 2003. In contrast to the four other similar regions (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion and French Guiana), Mayotte would not have become an Overseas department (DOM) or an Overseas region (ROM), but would only have had a single assembly; the four other existing DOM-ROM will have the option of changing their status to this format as well.

As a result of the yes vote, Mayotte became the 101st French department in 2011, and the first with a population overwhelmingly of the Muslim faith.

The move has been opposed by the African Union and Comoros, who claim it is "occupation by a foreign power" and several protests have been held in Moroni, capital of Comoros. The Comoran vice-president said the vote was a "declaration of war".

The population of Mayotte was approximately 186,000 at the time of the election. Ninety-five percent of Mahorans are Sunni Muslims. Many Mahorans are fluent only in local languages, including Shimaore and Bushi, rather than the French language. It is believed that one-third of the population consists of illegal immigrants, mostly from the neighboring, impoverished Comoros islands. Continued political union with France has allowed Mayotte to remain relatively prosperous, at least by regional standards, compared to the independent Comoros. The Comoros, which has suffered from economic and political instability since its independence, continues to claim Mayotte as part of its territory.

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