A French gendarme stands alert during a patrol in a forest zone on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte, on May 24, 2023. Authorities on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte began demolishing homes in a large slum as part of a contested operation against sub-standard housing and illegal migration. France has deployed hundreds of police officers in Mayotte -- the country's poorest region -- since April to prepare for a major slum-clearing initiative called Operation Wuambushu ("Take Back" in the local language). (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP)