BIG Director: France illegally occupied Mayotte through sham referendum

Despite France's efforts to block discussions about its occupation of Mayotte Island in international organizations, the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) has brought this issue back to the forefront and pledged to continue supporting the people of Mayotte, Abbas Abbasov, the Executive Director of BIG, told reporters on the sidelines of the conference themed "Illegal French Occupation of Mayotte Island of Comoros Union" held in Baku, Report informs.

"Today's event is dedicated to Mayotte Island. In 1975, just one year after the Comoros Islands declared independence, France conducted a sham referendum and occupied Mayotte. Since then, all issues related to Mayotte have been blocked in international organizations. However, there are UN resolutions regarding this occupation," Abbasov stated.

According to Abbasov, BIG has brought this issue back to the international agenda, drawing attention to the plight of Mayotte. The organization plans to continue holding events calling for the implementation of UN resolutions related to Mayotte.

"We will defend the provisions of international law," he emphasized.