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Focus on France 29 March 2009
France gains a department with Mayotte poll
Article published on the 2009-03-29 Latest update 2009-03-30 09:24 TU
A rally of women at a meeting organised by the committee for the departmentalisation of Mayotte in Labattoir on 26 March 2009.
(Photo: AFP)
The Indian ocean island of Mayotte voted on Sunday whether to become France’s 101st department, and all indications show it will say yes. It is one of four islands in the Comorian archipelago, which was a French colony until 1974. While the other three voted for independence, Mayotte decided not to. The majority of people on Mayotte are in favour of becoming officially French, though the move has been critisied by the UN, the African Union, and the Comorian diaspora in mainland France.
Focus on France: Departmentalisation of Mayotte
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