Tag: New Caledonia

France’s president is visiting the Pacific territory where electoral reform plans have fuelled the worst unrest in more than 30 years.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said French soldiers will remain in New Caledonia “as long as necessary” after more than a week of unrest triggered by French plans to change electoral rules in the Pacific island territory.

Macron arrived in New Caledonia’s capital Noumea on Thursday, amid continuing protests over voting reforms the Indigenous Kanak people say would dilute their vote and undermine their struggle for independence.

The reforms would allow French people who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years or more to vote in New Caledonia’s provincial elections.

About 3,000 soldiers have been sent from Paris since the violence began and could stay until the Olympic Games in Paris, which begin on July 26, Macron said.

Six people, including three young Kanaks, have been killed and about 280 people arrested since the protests broke out and a state of emergency was declared.

Macron observed a minute of silence for the people who had been killed and said if roadblocks and barricades were removed, he would be opposed to extending the state of emergency.

The French president also met the pro-independence President of the Government of New Caledonia Louis Mapou and the President of Congress Roch Wamytan, in a meeting at the residence of France’s high commissioner to New Caledonia in Noumea on Thursday.

Macron flew about 17,000km (10,500 miles) from mainland France to reach Noumea and was expected to remain in New Caledonia for around 12 hours.

Demonstrators waving New Caledonian flags lined the streets as the French president’s convoy made its way along the newly reopened road from the international airport to Noumea.

“I don’t know why our fate is being discussed by people who don’t even live here,” said Mike, a 52-year-old Kanak at a roadblock north of the capital, on the eve of Macron’s arrival.

About 90 barricades put up by protesters had been cleared by heavily armed police and paramilitaries, but new barricades were still appearing the night before Macron arrived, according to the Reuters news agency.

Jimmy Naouna, from the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) of New Caledonia, said the pro-independence political party had called for protesters to remove the roadblocks, and urged Macron to drop the electoral reform plan.

“We are expecting if [Macron] travels to Kanaky, he will make some strong announcement that he is withdrawing this electoral bill, but if he is just coming here as a provocation, that might just turn bad,” Naouna said ahead of the French president’s arrival, using the island’s Indigenous name.

The Kanaks make up about 40 percent of the slightly more than 300,000 people who live in New Caledonia, which lies between Australia and Fiji in the Pacific Ocean.

In 1998, France agreed to cede the territory more political power and to limit voting in New Caledonia’s provincial and assembly elections to those who were residents of the island at the time, under the so-called Noumea Accord.

About 40,000 French citizens have moved to New Caledonia since 1998, and the changes expand the electoral roll to include those who have lived in the territory for 10 years.

The Noumea Accord also included a series of three independence referendums, with the last one taking place in December 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pro-independence groups boycotted the vote, which backed remaining in France, and rejected the result.

Last week, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told the TV channel France 2 that Azerbaijan, alongside China and Russia, were “interfering” in New Caledonia.

“I regret that some of the Caledonian pro-independence leaders have made a deal with Azerbaijan,” Darmanin claimed.

Some 1,000 security personnel have arrived from France to address the worst unrest in the territory since the 1980s.

Authorities in New Caledonia have described the situation in the French Pacific territory as “calmer” after Paris declared a state of emergency in response to violence that erupted on Monday night over plans to change provincial voting rules.

The officer of the high commissioner of New Caledonia, which represents the French state, said in a statement on Friday that unrest in the provincial capital Noumea had subsided, as hundreds of security reinforcements arrived from Paris.

“For the first time since Monday, the situation is calmer and more peaceful in greater Noumea,” the commission said in a statement.

However, there had been fires at a school and two businesses overnight, it added.

Anger has been simmering for weeks over French plans to expand the vote in New Caledonia to outsiders who have lived on the island for 10 years or more, in a relaxation of voting restrictions agreed upon after an earlier period of political unrest in the 1980s.

The Indigenous Kanak population, who make up about 40 percent of the population, fear the move, which was adopted by the National Assembly in Paris on Wednesday, will dilute their vote and political influence.

About 1,000 extra security personnel are expected in New Caledonia, adding to the 1,700 already there, while authorities have said they will push for “the harshest penalties for rioters and looters”. Five people suspected of organising the unrest, which saw roads barricaded, businesses set on fire and looting, were placed under house arrest on Thursday.

At least five people have been killed since the violence broke out on Monday after a second police officer was killed on Thursday. Three civilians, all Kanaks, have also died, while hundreds of people have been injured.

The violence is the worst in the territory in more than 30 years and follows three failed referendums on independence that were part of earlier political agreements to ensure stability. The last referendum in December 2021 was boycotted by Kanak independence groups because it took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and turnout was only 44 percent.

Independence remains a popular cause in the territory, which lies between Australia and Fiji and was colonised by the French in the late 19th century.

The state of emergency, which includes a nighttime curfew and a ban on gatherings, will remain in force for 12 days.

Local authorities say five suspects under house arrest as they move to try and restore calm.

France has declared a state of emergency in its Pacific island territory of New Caledonia and deployed police and military reinforcements in an attempt to end days of unrest over Paris’s move to change the rules governing provincial elections.

Three Indigenous Kanak people and a police officer have been killed in violence that erupted on Monday night and has continued despite an overnight curfew. Hundreds have been injured.

The state of emergency came into force at 5am on Thursday (18:00 GMT on Wednesday) and gives the authorities wide powers of search and arrest.

The high commission, which represents the French state in New Caledonia, said in a statement that five people had been placed under house arrest as “alleged sponsors of the violent disturbances” and that more searches would take place “in the coming hours”.

More than 200 “rioters” had been arrested, it added.

The authorities are “determined to quickly restore public order and take all necessary measures to protect the population of New Caledonia,” the statement said.

A contingent of troops were on their way from Marseille to help secure New Caledonia’s international airport, which has been closed since the start of the week, as well as its ports.

The state of emergency will remain in force for 12 days.

Controversial reform

Anger has been simmering for weeks over plans to amend the French constitution to allow people who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote in the territory’s provincial elections, diluting a 1998 accord that limited voting rights.

Many Indigenous Kanak people, who make up about 40 percent of the territory’s nearly 300,000 people, fear the move will undermine their position in the territory.

This week’s violence came as the National Assembly voted in Paris to adopt the measure. A joint sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate needs to be convened for the new rules to take effect because they represent a constitutional change.

New Caledonia, which lies some 1,500km (930 miles) east of Australia, was colonised by France in the 19th century.

The last serious outbreak of unrest in the 1980s led to the 1998 agreement, known as the Noumea Accord, promising greater autonomy as well as three referendums on independence.

In all three, most recently in December 2021, voters opted to remain part of France.

Pro-independence parties boycotted the final referendum because it took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a devastating and disproportionate impact on the Kanak community.

There are large disparities of wealth between the Kanaks and people of European descent. About 40,000 people have moved to New Caledonia from France since the 1998 accord.

Buildings and cars torched after protest against constitutional amendments descends into rioting.

Security forces have been mobilised and a curfew imposed in the French Pacific island territory of New Caledonia after a general strike and protests over proposed constitutional amendments descended into violence.

Shops and buildings were set on fire in the capital Noumea, as well as surrounding settlements, on Monday night, after a day of action over the proposed changes which would increase the size of the electorate for upcoming elections.

Many in the Indigenous population fear the move will “further minimise the indigenous Kanak people”.

Noting that the violence was continuing, Louis Le Franc, the high commissioner of New Caledonia, said in a statement that security forces had been deployed and a curfew would be imposed from 6pm on May 14 (07:00 GMT) until 6am on May 15 (19:00 GMT on May 14).

“The high commissioner condemns in the strongest terms these acts of violence, which constitute serious attacks on people and property,” the statement said.

New Caledonia’s airport was also closed.

The high commissioner said 36 people had been arrested.

New Caledonia is one of France’s biggest overseas territories and a key part of its claim as a Pacific power.

Voters rejected independence in a series of referendums that were promised after the islands were rocked by violent unrest.

Pro-independence groups boycotted the last vote in 2021 and rejected the result in which turnout was only 44 percent.

Noumea lies about 17,000km (10,563 miles) from Paris.