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Macron was talking to journalists ahead of a meeting between the
French prime minister and lawmakers from the Caribbean island
scheduled later on Monday.
"We must explain, explain, explain and convince, convince,
convince, because one must not play around with the peoples'
health", Macron said.
He described the situation in Guadeloupe as "very explosive,
which has a very local context and tensions which we know about,
which are historic."
Violence erupted last week after walkouts organised by the
territory's labour unions to challenge local COVID-19
restrictions such as the mandatory vaccination of health
workers.
Local police have arrested at least 38 people and dozens of
stores have been looted. French media reported on Sunday that
rioters had broken into an arms depot in the coastal city of
Pointe-a-Pitre and taken rifles.
"We just don't know how far this will still go," the mayor of
Point-a-Pitre told France Info radio earlier on Monday.
Guadeloupe has been hit by violent protests before, but he said
there were "big worries" on the island now because rioters had
guns.
Over the weekend, France announced it would send police special
forces to restore order in the French overseas territory. The
local school authority said on Sunday that all schools in
Guadeloupe would be closed on Monday.
In a sign unrest could spread to other French overseas
territories in the Caribbean, trade unions called for a general
strike on the island of Martinique from Monday, French media
reported.
(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Christian Lowe)
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