Visiting Mayotte after the passage of Cyclone Chido, President Emmanuel Macron was booed and heckled several times on Thursday by Mahorais, but also some of their elected officials.
19/12/24 – 11:18 p.m. – In images, Emmanuel Macron heckled by the Mahorais
Thursday evening, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron faced a crowd of Mahorais who demanded his resignation, as we mentioned earlier. Here is the scene in pictures:
19/12/24 – 22:09 – “It’s underdevelopment that killed” in Mayotte, believes Jean-Luc Mélenchon
During a conference entitled “The political moment”, the founder of La France insoumise declared that “it was deprivation, underdevelopment, class contempt which killed” in Mayotte. “We are not just talking about a climatic event. We are talking about the way in which compatriots, human beings, men and women who are our brothers and sisters in humanity are treated. “, pointed out Jean-Luc Mélenchon, regretting that “thousands and thousands of people were left in barracks and shanty towns”. Precarious habitats that the rebellious leader denied having, with his group, refused to destroy because “destroying a shanty town is within everyone’s reach, but we still have to tell people where they are going go”.
19/12/24 – 9:04 p.m. – “This is the biggest disaster our country has experienced in a very long time”, says François Bayrou
Guest of The Event on France 2 Thursday evening, François Bayrou returned to the situation in Mayotte. Deploring “the greatest catastrophe that our country has known for a very long time”, he recalled the fear of the authorities of finding numerous victims under the rubble. As for the reconstruction of the “entirely devastated” island, he assured that “the State will remain present” in Mayotte, before expressing his hope of being able to “rebuild as quickly as possible, perhaps in two years “the island.
19/12/24 – 8:33 p.m. – Emmanuel Macron attacked by residents
“Macron resign!”, “You’re talking nonsense!” or even “Tomorrow, you leave again and we struggle!” launched residents of Mayotte at Emmanuel Macron this Thursday evening, relays The World. As he tried to explain the announced measures, Emmanuel Macron got annoyed: “Hey, but are you listening to me?” Faced with “no, you’re talking nonsense” from a demonstrator, the President of the Republic remarked: “If I were talking nonsense, I wouldn’t be here. I could have gone and hidden, I’m here among you!” Emmanuel Macron then set things straight: “It’s unbearable what you’ve been experiencing for six days, but I’m not the cyclone! I’m not responsible! […] I’m here to take some of the anger, because that’s my role and my function.”
12/19/24 – 8:05 p.m. – After the devastating passage of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte, the start of the school year hoped for January 13
The resigning Minister of National Education, Anne Genetet, indicated on X that “all means are being mobilized to prepare for the start of the school year from January 13”. A message in which the minister also praised the “immense courage” of the educational community and expressed “all [s]on admiration et [s]full mobilization”.
19/12/24 – 7:31 p.m. – An “exceptional surge of generosity”: 14 million euros raised for Mayotte
Mayotte has been ravaged and reconstruction promises to be long, tedious and above all expensive. However, the Mahorais will be able to count on numerous donations. The Fondation de France reveals this evening that 14 million euros have already been raised for Mayotte in four days. “This is the biggest start of emergency fundraising in such a short time at the Fondation de France,” underlines director Alexandre Giraud, who is delighted with a real “outpouring of generosity”.
19/12/24 – 7:01 p.m. – Emmanuel Macron wants to “end” the slums
The President of the Republic also confided during this speech to the media on Thursday at the end of the day his desire to “put an end” to the slums and to “remove habitats which are both unworthy and dangerous”. Habitats which sheltered until the passage of the cyclone no less than a third of the island’s inhabitants, or nearly 100,000 people, often foreigners in an irregular situation. “In the long term, we want there to be no more shantytowns,” defended Emmanuel Macron, before committing to “rebuilding sustainable housing that meets standards.”
12/19/24 – 6:38 p.m. – Emmanuel Macron reminds us that “there must be no distinction”
Concerning the victims, Emmanuel Macron assures that there “must be no distinction” between people “when it comes to saving, feeding and providing water”, in reference to immigrants from the Comoros but arrived illegally in Mayotte. The head of state had already made several statements on the subject of immigration earlier in the day.
19/12/24 – 6:31 p.m. – “It is likely that there are many more victims” than the 31 mentioned, estimates Emmanuel Macron
Asked about the human toll in Mayotte, Emmanuel Macron wanted to “remain cautious about the figures”. “It is likely that there are many more victims,” he declared Thursday evening, while the provisional toll showed 31 dead and more than 1,400 injured. And the President of the Republic added: “It is likely that we have dramatic situations which have not manifested themselves.”
19/12/24 – 6:09 p.m. – Emmanuel Macron heckled by elected officials from Mahor
Visiting the departmental council of Mayotte this Thursday, Emmanuel Macron and several elected officials from Mayotte had a lively exchange. “I don’t want to say thank you for being here,” began municipal councilor Houdjati Hairati, getting up in the middle of the session. It is the president’s “duty” to be present in Mayotte, she said. And added, to loud applause and while Emmanuel Macron delivered the details of the water and food supply plan: “We are not doing humanitarian work, we are not in Palestine.” Several elected officials subsequently added: the Mahorais are “not beggars”! While the tension was high, Emmanuel Macron got annoyed: “Don’t waste energy speaking in the past conditional, only speak in the present and the future.”
19/12/24 – 6:02 p.m. – Macron promises reinforcements by Sunday and to return to Mayotte
Emmanuel Macron indicated that by Sunday at least 1,200 members of “internal security forces” will be present in Mayotte “to secure neighborhoods which are sometimes subject to looting.” He also “committed” to returning to the archipelago himself to the elected officials of Mahor.
19/12/24 – 5:15 p.m. – Macron announces a “special law” to “rebuild Mayotte”
Emmanuel Macron announced “to build with the Minister (of Overseas Territories) a special law because we cannot do it with the current instruments” to rebuild Mayotte and the infrastructure during a meeting with elected officials in Mamoudzou. “We knew how to do it to organize the Olympic Games (…) to rebuild Notre-Dame de Paris and therefore we will do it to rebuild Mayotte,” he added.
12/19/24 – 4:45 p.m. – “All municipalities” will be supplied with drinking water and food “by Sunday evening”
This Thursday, Emmanuel Macron promises that “all municipalities by Sunday evening at the latest” will be supplied with drinking water and food. At the same time, he specifies that “military means” are being mobilized to achieve this objective. He also asked the locals for a list of expression of needs by municipality to be able to establish a link with the relevant interministerial unit and process requests as best as possible.
19/12/24 – 4:29 p.m. – “I never let go of Mayotte” says Emmanuel Macron
Live from Mayotte, Emmanuel Macron tried to reassure a resident of the region, devastated after the passage of Cyclone Chido. “We were able to rebuild our cathedral in five years, it would still be a tragedy if we were unable to rebuild Mayotte with the Mahorais (…) I never let go of Mayotte,” he said. he declared before hugging her.
19/12/24 – 4:12 p.m. – To find bodies, “maraudes” launched this Thursday, announces Macron
Concerning the census of victims, the equation is very delicate to resolve in Mayotte. “In the slums, bodies are buried directly (…) in mass graves,” said a man at Mamoudzou hospital this Thursday, in the presence of the head of state. Comments relayed by Le Monde. While many victims could not be identified, Emmanuel Macron announced that “maraudes” will be launched this Thursday afternoon to search for bodies.
