Miloslav Mecir of Slovakia was the surprise winner of the men's event, beating American Tim Mayotte.

BBC: SPORT | Olympics 2004 | Tennis | History | Tennis serves up shocks

The fourth, Mayotte, stayed French and has prospered as a strategic base and fancy holiday destination.

ECONOMIST: The African Union gets tough, even if it's not quite Iwo Jima

In a bid to rekindle Comorian nationalism, and keep his job, Mr Taki has demanded the return of Mayotte.

ECONOMIST: Comoros Islands

The days of the tricolour on Dzaoudzi, Mayotte's capital, could be numbered.

ECONOMIST: Comoros Islands

The latest tremors in Comoros had less to do with Mr Taki's rule than with Mayotte, the fourth island in the archipelago, which in 1975 had voted to remain a French colony.

ECONOMIST: Comoros Islands