The Comoros capital was at a standstill on Friday after the president vowed to maintain a hike in fuel prices and denounced violent protests against the increases in which one person was killed and 14 were injured. All vehicles including taxis, minibuses and private cars stayed off the streets, continuing a more than week-long stoppage caused by national outrage over a 40 percent rise in petrol prices and a 71.4 percent rise in diesel prices.

In the early afternoon, some shops were starting to open and small groups of people were walking in the streets of the capital on the main island of Grande Comore, but residents described the atmosphere as tense and uncertain. In a statement late on Thursday President Assoumani Azali pledged to keep the increases his government imposed on September 21, which government officials have argued are required by this year’s steep rise in the international oil price.

Azali added, however, that he had decided to abandon a 40 percent increase in the price of fuel for domestic lamps imposed at the same time and said he was cutting by 40 percent import taxes on most non-oil products apart from alcohol and tobacco. Security forces in Comoros on Saturday opened fire on youths protesting against the fuel price rises, killing one person and wounding 14, witnesses said. In the days after the price hikes were announced, demonstrators blocked roads, burned tyres and looted buildings belonging to officials.

In another move aimed at solving the crisis, Transport Minister Mohamed Chatur and Abou Djohar, leader of a union grouping minibus taxi operators, signed an agreement this week setting the price of a minibus taxi ride at 100 francs in all areas of Grande Comore, a rise of 20 percent. However, minibus taxis remained off the streets and members of several unions involved in the transport sector said they were holding meetings to discuss the implications of the accord and the president’s speech to try to forge a common response.

<B>Ahmed ALI AMIR</B>