(Pointe-à-Pitre, Paris) The government is “ready” to talk about the autonomy of Guadeloupe, a department affected by a violent crisis, said Overseas Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Friday, also announcing the creation of ” 1000 jobs helped for young people ”.
During the meetings of recent days to try to resolve the crisis, born of a refusal of the vaccination obligation before embracing social demands, “some elected officials have asked the question in hollow of autonomy”, declared Sébastien Lecornu in a televised address to Guadeloupe.
“According to them, Guadeloupe could better manage itself. They want less equality with France, more freedom of decision by local decision-makers. The government is ready to talk about it, there are no bad debates as long as these debates serve to solve the real problems of the daily life of Guadeloupeans ”, continued the Minister.
Mr. Lecornu also announced the funding of “1000 jobs aided for young people, with specific support and training, in the non-profit sector, to support local authorities or social, sporting and environmental associations”.
In Guadeloupe, 34.5% of the population lives below the national poverty line, with a high unemployment rate (19%), especially among young people (35% in 2020 against a national average of 20%).
In an attempt to calm the spirits and put an end to the violence, the government had previously indicated that it was postponing to December 31 the implementation of the vaccination obligation for caregivers and firefighters in Guadeloupe as in Martinique, where the dispute has stained. of oil.
In addition, the prefect of Guadeloupe “decided to extend the curfew from 6 pm to 5 am until Monday, November 29, 2021 at 5 am”.
Thursday, the prefect of Martinique had, him, established a curfew “from 7 pm to 5 am until the return to calm”.
What had started a few days ago in these two islands with blockades and pickets quickly slipped into violence against the police, fires and looting.
Shooting in Martinique
Law enforcement and journalists were targeted by gunfire on the night of Thursday to Friday in Martinique, where the violence left ten officers injured, including five by bullets.
“During the night, a gendarmerie officer who was working with his colleagues on a burglary was violently hit by the looters’ vehicle. He is seriously injured and is operated on today, ”explained the Fort-de-France prosecutor’s office.
About ten arrests took place in Martinique during the night, according to the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin. “There have been nearly 150 arrests since the start of this situation in Guadeloupe and Martinique,” said government spokesman Gabriel Attal.
In addition, the prosecutor of Pointe-à-Pitre, Patrick Desjardins, indicated in a press release Friday that the first results of an investigation carried out after the injury of a young man Wednesday near a dam show “that the injury does not in any case come from a shooting by firearm but more probably from the impact of a piece of tear gas grenade fired by the gendarmerie forces within the framework of the operation of maintenance of order ”.
Lifting of suspensions
Sébastien Lecornu and Minister of Health Olivier Véran also announced the lifting of suspensions for staff who will accept individual support.
On the other hand, those who refuse “will continue their suspension”, adds the text.
This announcement “does not change anything: we are not satisfied with this decision. We ask for the withdrawal of the vaccination obligation because our freedom to choose is violated, and the health pass which prevents everyone from living ”, responded to AFP Sormain Sandrou, deputy secretary general of the UTS-UGTG of Pointe-à-Pitre University Hospital, present on the picket line in front of the establishment.
“I have the impression that we don’t get along, that we don’t understand each other […] We want an exemption so that this law is not applied here! And not only at the firefighters! “, For his part proclaimed Jocelyn Zou, representative of the Force Ouvrière union among the firefighters, on the air of RCI radio.