Mayotte: France and the Comoros promise to “coordinate their efforts” against trafficking and smugglers

Meetings to limit dissension. The French and Comorian Ministers of the Interior and Foreign Affairs, meeting Tuesday in Paris amid tensions in Mayotte“reaffirmed their desire to fight against trafficking and against smugglers”, according to a joint press release.

The text also mentions their efforts to ease the tensions caused by the “Wuambushu” operation carried out by the French authorities in Mayotte to dislodge undocumented migrants from the slums, the vast majority of whom come from the neighboring islands of the Comoros.

In addition to Gérald Darmanin, Catherine Colonna and their respective counterparts Mahamoud Fakridine and Dhoihir Dhoulkamal, Houmed Msaidié, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment, Tourism and Crafts and Spokesperson for the Government of Union of Comoros, attended the meeting.

Reinforced dialogue

In their joint press release, the two governments stress that they want to “coordinate their joint efforts to safeguard human lives at sea and to manage human flows between the islands, including by resuming maritime links”.

The two delegations also reaffirm “the friendship that binds France and the Union of the Comoros” and express “their wish for harmonious development of the south-west region of the Indian Ocean”.

In addition, they undertake to “intensify” the dialogue between the two governments “with a view to strengthening the bilateral relationship and easing tensions”.

A meeting at the Elysée

Monday evening, it was French President Emmanuel Macron who discreetly received his Comorian counterpart Azali ***oumani. This meeting was confirmed on Tuesday by Hamada Madi, diplomatic adviser to the Comorian head of state.

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin launched a series of operations, grouped together under the name of “Wuambushu” (“recovery” in Mahoran), aimed at dislodging irregular migrants, mostly from neighboring Comoros, from the insanitary slums of Mayotte. Of the estimated 350,000 inhabitants of Mayotte, half do not have French nationality.

“Wuambushu” is denounced as a “brutal”, “anti-poor” operation violating the rights of migrants by a number of ***ociations, but it is supported by elected officials and many inhabitants of the archipelago, who denounce the increase in insecurity.