At the Fort-de-France court, two Guadeloupe officials testified on January 30 in the 'big brothers' trial over the 2021 riots. Ary Chalus, the regional president, used the occasion to announce his candidacy for Baie-Mahault mayor despite an ineligibility ruling. The hearing turned into an election platform ahead of municipal polls.
The trial for 'association de malfaiteurs' of the 'big brothers' has been underway since January 26 at the Fort-de-France correctional court in Martinique. Thirteen individuals face charges of planning and organizing the 2021 urban riots in Guadeloupe, including barricades and the arson of the prison probation service building on November 26, 2021.
Ary Chalus, president of the Guadeloupe region, testified on January 30 in support of Frédéric Dumesnil, known as 'Bwana,' one of the defendants. Former mayor of Baie-Mahault from 2001 to 2015, Chalus defended his record and highlighted a 72% drop in delinquency in the town, crediting Dumesnil. 'I have known Bwana for years; it is also thanks to him that Baie-Mahault is the only city in France that managed to reduce delinquency by 72%,' he stated at the bar.
Despite an appeals court conviction for two years of ineligibility in May 2025 – appealed to the Court of Cassation –, Chalus, who founded the Guadeloupean Alliance on January 10, confirmed his candidacy for Baie-Mahault mayor. A second official, a territorial deputy, also testified, as candidacy declarations proliferate for the upcoming municipal elections in the archipelago. This blend of judicial proceedings and electoral activity underscores local tensions ahead of the vote.
