Emmanuel Macron has declared a state of emergency in New Caledonia. In the last three days there have been violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement which led to the death of 5 people, 3 Kanak civilians and two gendarmes, as reported by Fance24, in addition to hundreds of injuries, including 64 officers. On […]
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Emmanuel Macron he declared state of emergency in New Caledonia. In the last three days there has been violence clashes between protesters and law enforcement which led to the death of 5 people3 Kanak civilians and two gendarmes, as reported Face24to which I add hundreds injured, including 64 agents. On the main streets of the capital were erected barricades which make it a “terrible situation” for the movement of goods and people, he said Louis Le Francrepresentative of the Republic in New Caledonia who also spoke of the risk of “a civil war”.
Since the beginning of the week hospitals And schools I am closed, given the difficulty of movement and the possibility of new clashes. The French Prime Minister on Wednesday evening Gabriel Attal announced the deployment of military to protect the airports And ports Caledonians. Interior Minister Darmanin spoke to the broadcaster France 2 saying they are coming 500 gendarmes, to be added to the 1,800 already present, to restore calm in the overseas territory. The minister then identified the Ccat (Centre for Coordination of Actions on the Ground), the most radical fringe of the Kanako and Socialist Liberation Front (Flnks), like the supporters of the riots. While the young Kanaks – the indigenous ethnic group of the archipelago – are setting fire to buildings, cars and looting shops, all the political forces of the archipelago, loyalists and independentists, have launched a common appeal for calm. But during the night there were still clashes between CCAT members and self-defense groups formed by civilians. Le Franc asked Ccat leaders to “stop these actions that are homicidal and deadly actions which can leave families grieving.”
Violent protests broke out following the approval, without consultation with the political forces of Nuémaof the law that extends the right to vote in New Caledonia’s provincial elections to residents who have arrived from mainland France in the last 10 years – a change that critics fear could marginalize the Kanaks and benefit pro-French politicians. A bill that aims to overcome the Numéa agreements of 1998 which, after 1986, when theUN had declared New Caledonia a territory to be decolonised, they had the objective of putting an end to French control over the archipelago, a colony of the Republic since 1853. The first decision was not to recognize as entitled citizens all those who had entered the Caledonian territory after the ’98. In the framework of the Numéa agreements it was decided that passing through three referendums the country would choose whether to remain under the control of Paris or whether to instead move towards total independence. All three votes were won by the side that wanted to remain tied to France. The first two were won with a small majority, 56.4% in 2018 and 53% in 2020. The third, however, boycotted by pro-independence exponents, had seen 96% of the votes to remain part of French territory. The parties in favor of independence have always asked for a fourth vote, but even if this is granted, the agreement provided that three referendums in favor were necessary to leave French control, while to remain under the Elysée just one victory was enough.
Furthermore, today the global geopolitical situation casts new shadows on the protests that have broken out in overseas territory. The main resource of New Caledonia are the nickel reserves, among the largest in the world. The mineral essential for the manufacture of electric batteries is attractive to various regional players, first and foremost La China. Darmanin himself, responding to France 2 regarding the possible presence of pro-Russian and Chinese powers behind the riots, he charged Azerbaijandeclaring that the interference of Baku in New Caledonia “it is a reality” and adding that “some independence activists have made agreements with Azerbaijan”. Words that echo the warning of the French secret services regarding the possibility that Russia, China and their allies could foment the protests by also providing Weapons. In line with these fears Le Franc has banned the use of TikTok in the overseas territory.
Although various French left-wing political groups have criticized the state of emergency by condemning the repressive choice, it seems that the leatherheads are the response coming from the Paris executive. A déjà vu of 1988, when special forces were deployed to free gendarmes kidnapped by FLNKS members, ending with the death of 19 Kanak and 2 gendarmes.
