MORONI , Comoros, March 27 (UPI) -- Protesters gathered in front of the French Embassy in Comoros, protesting the escape of an ousted leader seeking political asylum from France.

Anti-French slogans filled the air in front of the embassy in Moroni after Col. Mohammed Bacar fled to the French-run island of Mayotte from Anjouan when government troops and an African Union force invaded the island, the BBC reported.

Bacar has asked France for political asylum, but the Comoran government has asked France to extradite him. The operation began when Bacar refused to step down as president of Anjouan, one of the four main islands making up the Union of Comoros, after a disputed election last year, the British broadcaster said.

A Comoran government spokesman said a diplomatic crisis could develop if Bacar weren't returned to face justice. Mayotte also is part of Comoros but is administered by the French.