Sawt Falasteen - Macron vows to step up reconstruction in cyclone-hit Mayotte

The most destructive cyclone to hit the Indian Ocean archipelago in 90 years caused colossal damage in mid-December, killing 40 people and causing 3.5 billion euros ($4 billion) in damage.

Four months after the disaster, Macron visited Mayotte to "take stock of what is being done well, what is not being done well enough", he said as he got off the plane.

He was accompanied by his wife Brigitte, and the ministers of overseas territories, agriculture and health.

"Mayotte has a future in this region if we put in the resources," Macron told Mahoran lawmakers.

Macron came with a bill to "rebuild" the archipelago that also aims to strengthen the fight against illegal immigration, illegal housing, insecurity and support the local economy.

The plan will cost 3.2 billion euros, to be spent between 2025 and 2031, with financing from European and international sources as well as "national funds", Macron said.

The bill should be voted on in Parliament by the summer, he added.

- 'More resources' -

Several local lawmakers expressed concern about the region's precarious situation, including the lack of water, the possible spread of chikungunya disease and the delay in implementing many measures promised after the cyclone.

Macron told them that the chikungunya vaccination campaign would start Tuesday and that interest-free loans were "on their way".

In 2019, the president had promised a long runway at Mayotte's Petite Terre airport. On Monday, however, he said this would not be feasible for technical reasons, arguing instead for a new airport.

Mayotte attracts a large number of migrants from its poorer neighbour, the Comoros islands, who travel there irregularly seeking a better life.

About a third of the population, or more than 100,000 people -- and particularly illegal immigrants from the Comoros islands -- live in precarious housing.

Macron, who earlier Monday had met with agents involved in the fight against illegal immigration, told Mayotte lawmakers that things would change "profoundly" within a year.

Mayotte, where French far-right leader Marine Le Pen achieved one of her highest scores in the 2022 presidential election, remains high on the political agenda.

G.AbuHamad--SF-PST