Crowds in Mayotte vent frustration with cyclone response as Macron tours devastation

abcnews.go.com:

Crowds in Mayotte have vented their frustration at French President Emmanuel Macron, with some booing

MIRERENI, Mayotte — Crowds in Mayotte vented their frustration at French President Emmanuel Macron, with some booing, as he toured destruction wrought by the strongest cyclone to hit the French territory in nearly a century.

Particularly tense scenes on Thursday underscored the discontent that many residents of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean feel toward their government, based about 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) away in Paris.

The people of Mayotte, the poorest department in France, have previously said they suffer from underinvestment and neglect by the government. Now, they are expressing disappointment with the response to Cyclone Chido, which hit Saturday.

The storm has devastated entire neighborhoods and caused an unknown number of deaths, as many people ignored warnings, thinking the storm wouldn’t be so extreme. Authorities have said hundreds or possibly thousands may be dead, but the official toll rose to 35 on Friday.

In the morning, Macron visited a neighborhood in Tsingoni on Mayotte’s main island, where people remain without access to drinking water or phone service nearly a week after the storm.

As he walked through the area, some shouted: “We want water, we want water.” Others, however, offered him a warmer welcome, posing for selfies with the French leader and showing him their children.

But the night before, Macron was met with boos from dozens of residents in Pamandzi on another nearby island.

As people expressed frustration at the slow pace of aid efforts, Macron grabbed a microphone and became angry.

Moving towards the crowd, he said: “I have nothing to do with the cyclone, you can blame me, it