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

The Indian Ocean island is an integral part of France and the EU - but the aftermath of a devastating cyclone has highlighted its neglect

Imagine waking up to horrifying images of a region of France reduced to ruins after an extreme overnight weather event. We don't have to imagine it, because it happened in December. Tropical cyclones don't usually strike in Europe, but this one levelled a French departement. France's colonial history made that possible.

Mayotte, situated in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar, is part of the former French colonial empire. It has been a French overseas collectivity since the 1970s and was made a department of France in 2011. As such it is an integral part of the EU, too.