Mayotte has been French for longer than Nice. Why is it still treated with colonial arrogance? | Rokhaya Diallo

Cyclone Chido ravaged the island on 14 December , exposing socioeconomic conditions that should be unacceptable for the seventh -richest country in the world.

Mayotte , situated in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar , is part of the former French colonial empire.

About 77% of Mayotte ’s population live below the national poverty line, compared with 14% in metropolitan France , which would be unacceptable in any region on the European mainland.

The minimum wage in Mayotte is 24% lower than the national rate, and a solidarity income for those without earnings is half national rate.

Immigration laws are far stricter than in mainland France to deter migrants from neighbouring Comoros .

This is the neglectful context in which cyclone struck meaning many of its calamitous consequences could have been avoided.