Intensification of unrest in French New Caledonia

According to the report of the international group Tasnim news agency, publication ” In an article, “De Site” announced the escalation of the situation and unrest in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia and wrote: Independence supporters blocked access to the airport in this area. To deal with these disturbances, the government has deployed 600 more security forces to clear the way for this airport. The security forces are going to reopen the access to the airport. French Interior Minister Gerald Darwin announced this news on Saturday evening. He wrote on the online X service that this should enable the reopening of the airport.

These unrest started with the change of the electoral law that was put on the agenda by the French government. , which, according to supporters of independence in this region, would reduce the influence of the native population. According to local authorities, since the riots began on Monday, 6 people have been killed and hundreds of people have been injured. The country declared a state of emergency and deployed 1,000 additional security forces. The riots in recent days have seen looting of shops, building barricades and burning of buildings and vehicles.

New Caledonia is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,500 km east Australia is located. From 1853 to 1946, New Caledonia was a French colony. The archipelago had previously achieved extensive autonomy through the Noumea Agreement in 1998. For France, this territory is primarily geopolitically, militarily, and because of its large nickel deposits important. French Interior Minister Daronin announced on Sunday the deployment of hundreds more security forces in this French overseas territory. A large deployment of 600 security forces is “currently being deployed in New Caledonia,” Daronin wrote on Saturday. This, he said, is to “take full control” of the 60-kilometer road between the capital Noumea and La Tontouta International Airport so that the airport can reopen. be done.

The road has been blocked by independence supporters since Tuesday It announced that 3,200 people were stranded due to flight cancellations.

Before the Olympics in Paris, the Olympic flame was actually supposed to stop in New Caledonia, but now This is not happening because of the escalating unrest.The arrival of the Olympic flame was scheduled for June 11, and French sports minister Amelie O’Dea Castre said that a “return to calm” in the region should be a priority, the French official said I think everyone knows that given the circumstances, the priority is really consolidation and then appeasement with a return to public order.

Louis Loughran, French High Commissioner in New Caledonia is that the government is sending more troops to this colony located in the Pacific Ocean to establish security.

Paris authorities say that the rioters angry about the plan to change the election law, within a few days cars and They burned and looted shops and cut off access to medicine and food by creating roadblocks. The controversial issue could complicate French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to increase his country’s influence in the Pacific, an area where China and the United States are competing for the upper hand.

French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years will be allowed to run in New Caledonia’s provincial elections, according to a new decision to amend the constitution passed by Paris lawmakers on Tuesday.

Some local leaders fear that the move will dilute the Kanak native vote and make them a minority. Independenceists say that this decision is in line with France’s decades-long policy of gradually changing the population structure of the region and gradually eliminating the role of natives. They form New Caledonia.

New Caledonia, which was colonized by France in the second half of the 19th century, has a special position among other territories of this country. This new area is located in the southwest of the Pacific Ocean, about 1,500 kilometers east of Australia, and has rich mineral deposits, including natural nickel deposits.

Thursday’s program Macron’s video call with representatives of the pro-independence coalition was canceled because they say the government must first withdraw the electoral reform plan as a precondition for talks. They also rejected Macron’s July deadline for an agreement.

France has declared a state of emergency on the island and detained at least 10 separatist leaders. It has placed a house and has also blocked the TikTok network.

Hundreds of people have been arrested in New Caledonia since the beginning of the unrest. Unrest on this scale has been unprecedented in the region since 1988. Revised constitutional status for New Caledonia to come into effect by early 2024.

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