The president French Emmanuel Macronduring his visit to Mayottewas greeted with boos and protests from local residents, exasperated by the devastation caused by Cyclone Chido, the most powerful storm to hit the archipelago in ninety years. The situation on the island, a French department in the Indian Ocean, is dramatic: the inhabited centers, composed partly of slumhave been razed to the ground, and thousands of deaths are feared still buried under the rubble almost a week after the catastrophe.
Macron, who arrived in Mayotte to assess the damage and offer support, was harshly contested in the city of On the waterwhere several residents shouted “Resign!” and “You're talking nonsense!”, denouncing the government's lack of action Paris. The president, visibly irritated, responded to the protesters by stating that without France the situation would have been ten thousand times worse, underlining the importance of belonging to the Hexagone to receive aid and support.
The cyclone Chido swept across the archipelago with a devastating fury, destroying nearly everything in his path. The death count is complicated by the presence of thousands of illegal migrants coming from nearby Comoroswho live in precarious conditions and often invisible to the authorities. Rescue operations are made even more difficult by the lack of adequate infrastructure and the extent of the damage.
During his visit, Macron tried to reassure the population, promising resources and aid for reconstruction, but his words failed to calm the anger and frustration of residents, who feel abandoned and neglected by the central government.
