Paris (AFP)

Personalities, mostly from overseas, question the President of the Republic in a forum, "on the consequences of the health crisis which could be dramatic" for the overseas territories, "under the threat of a unprecedented economic, social, moral and political crisis ".

While welcoming "that the catastrophe announced on these territories did not take place", these personalities, led by the former interministerial delegate for equal opportunities of French overseas Patrick Karam (LR), underline "that the overseas territories have passed very close to a massacre (...), even if all danger has not been ruled out, as the situation in Mayotte shows".

The overseas territories counted more than 2,450 declared cases on Monday, more than half of them in Mayotte, which also records 18 of the 50 deaths recorded in all of the territories.

"This crisis has played the role of revealing the structural deficiencies and the dramatic impoverishment of our overseas territories, denounced year after year", write the signatories, including the singer of the group Kassav Jocelyne Beroard, the actors Pascal Legitimus and Firmine Ricard or journalist Christine Kelly.

"Already largely affected by poverty, unemployment, economic backwardness and glaring deficiencies in the health and education systems, the overseas territories will, with a few exceptions, be very hard hit by the repercussions of this crisis. health "and could" turn into a real powder keg ", insist the signatories, who are demanding a long series of economic measures, and" to respond to the immediate problem of social dropout ", ask for example" the creation of a check allowing to acquire essential goods. "

They also ask that the State "free the means of a massive investment plan" on "hospitals, access to water, waste treatment, electricity, the digital, green economy and blue, but also means for education with prioritization of credits from the skills investment plan (PIC), health, the fight against poverty and illiteracy ".

"This crisis highlights the deep malaise of overseas societies" and "on this malaise, surf groups that question the belonging to the whole French", write the former champion of France and Europe d athletics Christine Arron, journalist Mémona Hintermann or ex-world boxing champion Jean-Marc Mormeck.

© 2020 AFP