Comoros? former President Said Mohamed Djohar, considered by many to be the archipelago?s ?father of democracy?, died late on Wednesday.

?I can confirm that the former president died yesterday evening,? Loulou Said Islam from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Reuters yesterday .

The cause of death is not known, but some officials said 87-year-old Djohar had been sick for some time.

Djohar was the first democratically elected president of the Indian Ocean archipelago in 1990 but was ousted by notorious mercenary Robert Denard in September 1995.

French troops ended the coup and reinstalled Djohar a month later under bilateral accords with the Comoros islands, a former French colony, and captured the mercenaries.

Denard, 76, appeared before a Paris court on Monday where he and 26 accomplices are charged with overthrowing Djohar and installing opposition leaders Mohammed Taki and Said-Ali Kemal in power.

Djohar was regarded by many of the islands? population as the ?father of democracy? and had announced that he would stand as a candidate in elections due to take place in April and May.

Officials said he died at his family home in the town of Mitsamiouli, 35 km (22 miles) from the capital Moroni. He is expected to be buried according to Muslim tradition.