Emmanuel Macron became furious during an encounter with residents of cyclone-impacted Mayotte on Thursday night, informing a mocking crowd, “if this wasn’t France, you’d be in a bath of shit 10,000 times worse. ”
Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte, situated between Madagascar and Mozambique, on December 14, leading to extensive damage to infrastructure and destroying many of the tin-roofed homes in the island’s impoverished areas. Nearly a week after the most intense storm in 90 years, the French territory is still grappling with a significant water scarcity.
On Thursday, Macron confronted agitated residents who demanded to know why assistance had not yet been provided. He replied, “You are happy to be in France. If this wasn’t France, you’d be in a bath of shit 10,000 times worse. There is no other location in the Indian Ocean where people receive as much aid, that’s a fact. ”
Subsequently, Macron prolonged his visit by an additional day “as a mark of respect, of consideration. ” He clarified, “I decided to sleep here because I thought that, given what the population is enduring, [departing the same day could have] created the impression that we come, we observe, we depart. ”
The demonstrations persisted the next day. One individual yelled, “Seven days and you’re not able to provide water to the population” as Macron visited the coastal area of Tsingoni. Macron reassured him, “I understand your frustration. You can count on me,” pledging that water would be supplied at city halls.
The confirmed death toll is at 31, lower than earlier estimates, although the actual figure may remain unknown due to prompt burials and a large undocumented migrant population from Comoros. The cyclone also resulted in the deaths of 73 individuals in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi.
Mayotte has an official populace of 320,000, though estimates indicate an additional 100,000-200,000 people, primarily from Comoros, reside in the island’s slums. Mayotte has been a part of France since 1841, and in 1974, it voted to continue as a French territory while the Comoros opted for independence.
Earlier in the week, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, a prominent anti-immigrant advocate, mentioned that Mayotte could not be rehabilitated without tackling migration concerns.
In Kaweni, a slum close to the capital Mamoudzou, resident Ali Djimoi stated that eight individuals in his area perished due to the cyclone, two of whom were buried quickly near a mosque. He criticized the French government, asserting, “Mayotte had been completely abandoned,” and noted that while water flows from pipes, it is undrinkable due to its poor quality.
