G7 leaders announced Monday to release "immediate" emergency aid of at least $ 20 million to support countries affected by fires ravaging the Amazon, including to send bombers.

The G7, meeting in Biarritz, promised Monday, August 26 to unblock emergency assistance of at least $ 20 million to fight fires in the Amazon. It will notably serve to send air bombers and will be allocated "immediately", according to French President Emmanuel Macron.

In addition to sending a fleet against the flames, to which France will provide military support for its forces in French Guiana, the G7 has agreed to a plan for aid for reforestation at UN level , which must be finalized during the UN General Assembly in late September.

This "initiative for the Amazon" will require the agreement of Brazil and eight other Amazon states, in connection with NGOs and local populations. "The Amazonian countries urgently need fire brigades and specialized water bombers," said G7 invited Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.

London promises 10 million pounds

These decisions, announced by the two men, reflect the will of the French president to make the Amazon a priority of the G7, to the point of making a test on its effectiveness. "The second step, on which we agreed with the Amazonian countries, will be in the framework of the next UN General Assembly, to implement a phase that consists of protecting forests, biodiversity and reforest these areas of the world, "added Sebastian Pinera.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday pledged £ 10 million to help reforest the Amazon rainforest.

Present at the G7, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Monday the international community to mobilize more strongly. "I hope we can mobilize even more resources to help the countries of the Amazon," said Antonio Guterres.

An international status in the Amazon?

The French president even wondered about the advisability of conferring an international status on the Amazon rainforest, in case the leaders of the region take decisions harmful to the planet. A clear allusion to the Brazilian president who accused Emmanuel Macron of "colonialist" mentality to demand an international action, in an intense pass of arms that included attacks of Jair Bolsonaro to the French First Lady, Brigitte Macron.

Associations and NGOs have raised the issue of defining an international status for the Amazon. "This is not the framework of the initiative that we are taking, but it is a real question that arises if a sovereign state takes concrete measures which obviously oppose the interest of the whole country. planet, "explained Emmanuel Macron. "The exchanges between Presidents Pinera and Bolsonaro do not go in this direction, I think he is aware of this subject.In any case I want to live on this hope," he said, suggesting that Brazilian President would not oppose the dispatch of air bombers, thanks to Chilean mediation.

But such a status "is a path that remains open and will continue to flourish in the coming months and years, because the issue is so climatic that we can not say 'this is only my problem'. is the same for those who have on their territory glacial spaces or that have an impact on the entire world ". The French president, however, said he built the initiative that will be proposed to the UN "to respect the sovereignty of each country."

Nearly 80,000 forest fires in Brazil

Emmanuel Macron also confirmed that the Indian leader Raoni, declared opponent of the Brazilian president, was in the region, but that he had been invited by NGOs. If the cacique wished it, he said he was ready to receive it again.

The French president has made the situation in the Amazon one of the priorities of the summit, launching a "call of the forest" and calling "all the powers" to mobilize against fires and to reforest.

Nearly 80,000 forest fires have been reported in Brazil since the beginning of the year, including just over half in the Amazon.

Under international pressure, Brazil finally came into action on Sunday in the Amazon, sending in particular two C-130 Hercules planes.

With Reuters and AFP