Mayotte had been paralyzed for more than a month by roadblocks initially installed by citizen groups protesting against the security situation on the island, prey to recurring violence by youth gangs and against illegal immigration, mostly from Neighboring Comoros.
Marie Guévenoux, the Minister for Overseas Territories, announced the lifting of the last three roadblocks.
“All the roadblocks are now lifted in Mayotte!
I salute the responsibility of elected officials and collectives,” she wrote on to intensify security operations.
The information was confirmed by Safina Soula, the president of the Mayotte 2018 citizens' collective, one of the groups behind the "Forces vives" movement which launched the blockades.
All roadblocks are now lifted in #Mayotte!
I salute the responsibility of elected officials and collectives.
The return to calm will allow all police officers and gendarmes to concentrate on arresting offenders and intensifying security operations.
@GDarmanin pic.twitter.com/qH9JScNGqZ
— Marie Guévenoux (@mguevenoux) March 1, 2024
Marie Guévenoux went to the Indian Ocean archipelago on Tuesday for a visit during which she notably met leaders of the “Forces vives” collectives.
She had asked for the last blockades to be lifted.
A department adrift
According to her, the demands of the collectives had been heard during the trip, on February 11, to the archipelago of Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior who had announced in particular the coming end of land rights on the island and that territorialized residence permits.
VIDEO.
Traveling to Mayotte, Gérald Darmanin announces the end of soil law
She had also announced the start of an operation “Wuambushu 2 from April” including the destruction of illegal buildings inhabited by illegal Comorian immigrants in Mayotte.
A first Wuambushu operation in spring 2023 had already targeted the flow of migrant arrivals from the Comoros and to destroy the increasingly numerous bangas (huts) organized in shantytowns.
Since then, several meetings have taken place between local elected officials and representatives of the “Forces vives” but also with the new prefect François-Xavier Bieuville.
“The dialogue was at one point broken, it is established,” said Safina Soula.