VOA常速英语2008年-Comoros Announces Interim Government on Anjouan

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
26 March 2008

In the Comoros, central government troops are mopping up pockets of resistance one day after they landed on the rebel-held island of Anjouan.  VOA's Scott Bobb reports from our Southern Africa Bureau in Johannesburg the central government says an interim¹ Anjouan government will be in place soon.

The chief of the Comoros army Wednesday arrived on Anjouan as his troops, backed by African Union forces, consolidated² their takeover of Anjouan Island.  Lieutenant³ Colonel Mohamed Amiri Salimou told VOA that the island is calm.

He says the island is pacified⁴ and has now been re-united with the rest of the nation.  The colonel said there were some light injuries, but he knew of no deaths from the operation.

He said about 50 rebel officials had surrendered or been arrested and that an operation was underway to capture their leader, Colonel Mohamed Bacar.

The Comoran government says it will form an interim government by the end of this week on Anjouan and that one of the federation's vice⁵ presidents would be in charge.

Comoran troops, backed by African Union forces, took control Tuesday of the major towns and port on the breakaway island.

There were reports of popular celebrations across the Comoros.  But South African President Thabo Mbeki, whose government proposed a last-minute mediation⁶ of the confrontation⁷, expressed disappointment.

"I think it is very, very unfortunate that this military action has now taken place, because it takes the Comoros back again to the use of force to solve a problem, which could very easily have been solved by negotiation," he said.

Rebel-leader Mohamed Bacar was elected president of Anjouan in 2001 under a union constitution that granted each of the three islands of the Comoros considerable autonomy and its own president.  He was re-elected last year, but those elections were not recognized by the central government or the international community.

The Comoran government accuses Mohamed Bacar of corruption⁸ and human rights violations⁹ and says he will be put on trial if he is captured.

The African Union decided¹⁰ to back a military offensive to regain¹¹ control of Anjouan after months of negotiations¹² with the rebels.  It sent about 1,400 troops from Tanzania and Sudan with logistical support from Libya, France, and the United States.

1 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

2 consolidated   

a.联合的

参考例句：

• With this new movie he has consolidated his position as the country's leading director. 他新执导的影片巩固了他作为全国最佳导演的地位。
• Those two banks have consolidated and formed a single large bank. 那两家银行已合并成一家大银行。

3 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

4 pacified   

使（某人）安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平

参考例句：

• The baby could not be pacified. 怎么也止不住婴儿的哭声。
• She shrieked again, refusing to be pacified. 她又尖叫了，无法使她平静下来。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

7 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。