French President Macron brings new promises to brag with a whirlwind. Residents want more
Traditional songs and dances welcome French President Emmanuel Macron this week when he arrived at Mayotte’s Indian Ocean territory, unlike his last visit, when he was greeted by angry, desperate residents repentantly from a devastating whirlwind.
But despite improvements in daily life, the impact of Cyclone Chido in December still occupies Macron’s latest trip to the archipelago near Madagascar, the poorest corner of France. Mayotte killed dozens of people in the worst whirlwind of a century and injured more than 2,000, flattened houses and cut off electricity, communications and water supplies.
Macron was very careful while on his tour Monday after a controversial visit in December. He brought new promises of reconstruction assistance to the 320,000 residents in the region and suppressed illegal immigration. French authorities estimate that another 100,000 immigrants live in Mayotte, and many in tin-house shantytowns are easily touted by the storm.
Electric and telephone services have now been restored, and the drinking water network is operating again – despite the ongoing power outages due to long-term shortages that would make Mettot thirsty even before the whirlwind.
“Mayotte is not disappointed, but it has not yet declined,” concluded Estelle Youssouffa, MP for Mayotte, who represents the French National Assembly.
Residents of Tsingoni village (the centuries-old mosque is considered the oldest run by France) are still seeking help from its mayor for reconstruction. Some homes still need to be replaced or completely rebuilt.
When the president visited Tsingoni, Mayor Issilamou Hamada said he was worried that residents’ emotions would “spill”.
During Macron’s discussions with local residents, some told him that his early promises were still unfulfilled.
“We feel lonely. I lost everything, my nursing practice is in my house. The roof has disappeared and I have no computer anymore. I have been forced to work on my phone ever since.” Siti Madi uses a makeshift office in another village.
Residents say the bank has not granted zero-interest loans that promised to rebuild. Authorities warn of health risks as waste caused by cyclones has not been cleaned yet. The department also experienced the first Chikungunyans, a disease that is transmitted by mosquito bites.
Macron tried to assure everyone.
“Has everything been solved? No, we are in a stable stage. There are legitimate concerns and a lot of things still need to be improved. We are solving these problems.”
Two bills were introduced immediately after the government’s visit, including tax relief for businesses and the establishment of structures dedicated to reconstruction, such as a Macron created to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Macron estimates the reconstruction cost of €3.2 billion ($3.6 billion), acknowledging that the bill is “not enough to solve all Mayotte’s problems”.
Mayotte is used to struggling, and great promises from far away Paris.
Mayotte Regional Council President Ben Issa Ousseni believes that the proposed legislation “has not met the aspirations of the Mahoran people”. He said he will continue to fight for more efforts, including a runway extension to the long-term publicity of the Pamanz Airport, which aims to promote tourism and economic development.
Macron said he was ready to discuss inequality between Mettot and the rest of France. Its minimum wage and pension are lower than elsewhere, and its cost of living may be higher than that of mainland France due to its reliance on imported goods and services.
Macron also highlighted plans to curb illegal immigration plans, using “Ora wa chaba” or iron walls in the Mahorais language to prevent immigrants from coming from the Comoros Islands, Madagascar, Madagascar and Tanzania from fleeing Tanzania elsewhere in Africa.
Macron restricted a rule to a rule that restricted Mayotte’s “seriously abnormal immigration status” that restricted foreigners who arrived at Mayotte to travel elsewhere in France.
The president traveled next to French party territory, where he announced new tax breaks to boost the local economy.
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Angela Charlton of Paris contributed.
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