He only has a few minutes to spare 20 Minutes before heading off to yet another crisis meeting. Since Cyclone Chido devastated the island of Mayotte, likely causing hundreds of victims, the schedule of General Lionel Lavergne, commander of the Overseas Gendarmerie, has turned into a real race against time. . “An unprecedented disaster requires an unprecedented commitment,” he insists.
Have you heard from all the gendarmes deployed in Mayotte?
Yes, we were able to have contact with each barracks. The 800 gendarmes present – those permanent and those providing reinforcement for three months as part of a security operation – are all safe and sound, as are their families. But around fifty of them had their homes destroyed by the cyclone. In one brigade, the roof of a barracks fell on its inhabitants, fortunately without causing any injuries. I would also like to spare a thought for the Mahorais who are experiencing a dramatic situation, as well as their loved ones, in France, who are struggling to get news.
In such a chaotic situation, how are priorities organized?
As soon as the storm was downgraded, nearly 650 gendarmes immediately went to the field. We must be present in three areas: preserving public order, rescuing people and ensuring that the gendarmerie can function optimally again quickly. Faced with such a particular situation, everyone is on deck even if the conditions are very trying: the temperature currently felt is 40-45 degrees during the day.
What are your first comments, particularly in terms of safety? Do you fear, for example, looting?
For the moment, the level of offense is rather below average but there is a staggering effect. We must remain very vigilant, especially in the days to come. The more the issue of water and food supply becomes a problem, the greater the risk of looting or riots. This is why we must occupy the ground, show our presence.
How is relief organized? How do you participate?
We obviously provide assistance to injured people but we also work to make the land passable, to clear the roads, and to make all the disaster areas accessible to facilitate the work of the emergency services. On Sunday, we cleared nearly thirty kilometers of road with armored vehicles. Other pilots are about to come on board to speed up this work. We also have a big problem with damaged radio links. These communications are essential to ensure our missions, especially since some of our units do not have satellites. Restoring them is one of our priorities.
How many reinforcements are expected in the coming days?
Next weekend, there will be 400 additional gendarmes in Mayotte. Mobile and territorial gendarmes but also experts in means of communication, logistics, planning of operations of this type…
What are the specificities of Mayotte in terms of relief?
The main difficulty is the double insularity of Mayotte. We are obliged to use Reunion Island as a “hub”: all resources converge there, particularly because the Mayotte runway cannot accommodate wide-body aircraft. You have to try to be as efficient as possible because every minute counts.
Can we compare this disaster to that of Irma, the cyclone which swept Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy in 2017?
We can draw a parallel, but there are also many differences. There were 40,000 inhabitants there, there are ten times more in Mayotte. And then, there, most of the houses were solid. This was not the case in Mayotte.
When will we have a consolidated balance sheet?
I cannot answer it even if we know that the official results fall far short of the reality of the tragedy. We also know that we will not see all the deaths: Mayotte is a predominantly Muslim land. However, in Islamic rituals, bodies are buried within 24 hours.
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