Salima Machamba


Salima Machamba was sultan of Mohéli . Her official paternal name was Salima Machamba bint Saidi Hamadi Makadara. And her Christian name was Ursule. She was a relative of Ranavalona I, Queen of Madagascar.

Life

She was born out of wedlock as the daughter of Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane, Queen of Mohéli and Emile Fleuriot de Langle on 1 November 1874 in Fomboni, but officially she bore the name of her mother's husband and was recognised as Salima Machamba bint Saidi Hamadi Makadara. She was chosen as puppet queen of Mohéli by the French who made Comoros a French protectorate. She fell in love with and on 28 August 1901 married a French gendarme, Camille Paule, in Saint Denis, Réunion. In 1909 she was deposed by the French government and Comoros was annexed by France. She was deported with her family to France. She gave birth to three children. The French government provided her a yearly allowance of 3,000 gold Francs. She lived as a simple farmer in Haute-Saône, and died in Pesmes on 7 August 1964. She was buried at L'église Saint-Hilaire, Pesmes on 10 August 1964. Her granddaughter, Anne Etter represents the royal family of Mohéli in Comoros as the president of Association Développement des Iles Comores.

Children