To Be Free and French?: (Assessing) Decolonisation in the Non-Sovereign Territory of Mayotte

While Mayotte was suddenly thrust into the spotlight in late April 2023, following a large-scale police operation, the Indian Ocean Island remains overlooked and under-researched. Non-sovereign territories in general are an oft-left aside topic within current nation-state-centred debates and discussions. Even as regionalisation efforts and cross-border cooperation have been gaining traction, these endeavours remain based on different nation-states working together. The study of non-sovereign territories is crucial and needs to be considered carefully within decolonisation studies. Mayotte offers an intriguing case among non-sovereign overseas territories, as it actively chose to remain a French possession and continually petitioned for decades to obtain the most binding legal status - right as several other French overseas territories campaign for independence from the Hexagon. However, as the youngest French départment, Mayotte continues to face many crises and struggles to fit in...Show moreWhile Mayotte was suddenly thrust into the spotlight in late April 2023, following a large-scale police operation, the Indian Ocean Island remains overlooked and under-researched. Non-sovereign territories in general are an oft-left aside topic within current nation-state-centred debates and discussions. Even as regionalisation efforts and cross-border cooperation have been gaining traction, these endeavours remain based on different nation-states working together. The study of non-sovereign territories is crucial and needs to be considered carefully within decolonisation studies. Mayotte offers an intriguing case among non-sovereign overseas territories, as it actively chose to remain a French possession and continually petitioned for decades to obtain the most binding legal status - right as several other French overseas territories campaign for independence from the Hexagon. However, as the youngest French départment, Mayotte continues to face many crises and struggles to fit in with the national narrative, compared to the other overseas territories. Following discourse and visual analysis aesthetic, I argue that while Mayotte is indeed subjected to hierarchical relationships within overarching international, national and regional systems, elements of discourse ultimately display a more nuanced position and unveil a richer and more complex reality. Engaging with different sources, the case of Mayotte also sheds light on the limitations of assimilation.Show less

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To Be Free and French? (Assessing) Decolonisation in the Non-Sovereign Territory of Mayotte