Macron tells Cyclone-hit islanders to be ‘happy they are in France’.

CGTN Europe

The French island of Mayotte continues to reel from a vicious cyclone that swept through the Indian Ocean last week.   French President Emmanual Macron has travelled to the territory, but his visit has been marred by angry exchanges with locals.   CGTN’s Ross Cullen reports.   #France #Mayotte #Macron #ExtremeWeather

Transcript

00:00So Emmanuel Macron is on his way now to Djibouti for a scheduled trip.

00:04He always goes abroad to see French troops serving overseas at Christmas.

00:09But he's flying to Djibouti from Mayotte, where he was also meant to be spending a couple of days

00:14visiting communities devastated by Cyclone Tido.

00:17There's been an enormous impact on the island of the natural disaster, a major loss of life,

00:22and the president has been seeing some of the people and visiting parts of the island

00:26that have been hit by the cyclone.

00:29There was, however, footage that has been released of very angry exchanges.

00:33The president shouting, the crowds shouting back at him.

00:37They are demanding that the state do more.

00:40They didn't believe him when he said the state was prepared for the arrival of Cyclone Tido.

00:45And at one stage, he did actually swear at the crowd using an excretive that the president has had a liberty to use,

00:52but we're not at liberty to use on air.

00:55But it certainly was a very strong way of describing the situation from the president,

01:01certainly explicit language.

01:03That was a nighttime visit to one community.

01:07I should also add, though, Paul, during the day today, so earlier in the morning, Mayotte time,

01:13the president was quiet.

01:14He was visiting other communities.

01:16He was contrite.

01:18He was reserved.

01:19He was very tactile, hugging people who have been impacted by the cyclone.

01:24So it does appear that perhaps there was a word in the ear of the president overnight

01:29that his reaction to the crowds last night was certainly not becoming potentially of a man in his position.

01:37And we have seen a reaction today.

01:39If you did interpret his body language this morning, certainly, as I said, more quiet.

01:44And he was contrite.

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