These are criticisms that some could judge somewhat cheeky. Russian diplomacy denounced this Thursday, March 27, the “militarization” of Mayotte and accused Paris of “illegally” controlled this archipelago, after the recent announcement of a strengthening of the French military presence in this overseas department.
“Russia systematically opposes the unjustified militarization of any territory, with dangerous consequences for the peace and security of certain regions,” said spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova during a press point. “This fully applies to the highly sensitive area of the Indian Ocean,” she added, judging that “the militarist aspirations of the Macron administration go far beyond the European Union”.
Maria Zakharova also said that “under international law, this island belongs to the Union of Comoros”. She considered that the French military presence in Mayotte was used to ensure the “overseas territory controlled illegally held”, seeing a “of the last vestiges of the colonial era”.
No project as a new military base in Mayotte
These statements quickly reacted in France. And especially on the side of the overseas Minister Manuel Valls, who said that “Russia seeks and will seek to harm France everywhere”. “The installation of an embassy of the Russian Federation in Moroni in the Comoros and the scandalous declarations of the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry of Affairs accusing France of illegally controlling ‘the archipelago are a clear signal of this strategy,” he said in a statement transmitted to AFP.
Mayotte is a French department of the Indian Ocean, whose sovereignty is still claimed by the Union of Comoros, a country independent of France since 1975. In her words, Maria Zakharova was referring to statements by Manuel Valls in Parliament, earlier in March. According to her, he had spoken of a “construction project” of a new military base. Manuel Valls had in fact mentioned a future “support for the French naval base” existing in Mayotte as well as “support for the buildings of the French Navy”. On the other hand, he did not mention the creation of a new base, said those around him at AFP.
But the neighboring Comoros had then criticized this project. “In my opinion, deciding to militarize to excessive Mayotte is not the appropriate answer,” said Comorian Minister of the Interior Fakridine Mahamoud, highlighting a risk of exacerbation of “tensions”.
At the time of the proclamation of the independence of the Comoros, Mayotte chose to stay in France by two referendums in 1974 and 1976. “We will always defend with the same firmness the integrity of Mayotte, French department. This is the sovereign choice of Mahorais”, underlined Manuel Valls this Thursday.