Macron visits New Caledonia to calm unrest

According to the report of the international group Tasnim news agency quoting Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, “French overseas territories are affected by serious unrest that has so far caused extensive damage and several deaths.

President Emmanuel Macron France has now traveled to the region to resolve this crisis.

He entered the French overseas territory of New Caledonia on Thursday after the worst unrest in the last 40 years Upon arrival, he said: I have come here with the determination to restore peace, with great respect and in memory of the victims. My goal here, along with the ministers and the entire government, is to support the people. There is no set agenda and no major political decisions are expected.

Last week, at least six people were killed in violent protests against electoral law reforms in the region. And cars were looted and set on fire. The French government has deployed 3,000 additional police officers to regain control of the situation. country will remain. According to him, in the coming hours and days, if necessary, another massive operation will be planned to fully restore order in the republic, as thousands of tourists have been left stranded due to the unrest. France, Australia and New Zealand have organized special flights to evacuate tourists from this region. , reduce the influence of the native Kanaks, who make up 40 percent of the island’s 270,000 inhabitants. The purpose of these reforms is to allow the French to participate in provincial elections if they have lived in New Caledonia for at least ten years.

France in 1853 It annexed New Caledonia and granted the colony overseas territory status in 1946. This country is the third producer of nickel in the world, but this sector is in crisis and one out of every five inhabitants lives below the poverty line.

It is about ten days that This French overseas territory, New Caledonia, is under serious unrest. The French president has announced that he wants to guarantee the return of “peace, tranquility and security” with his trip.

“Macron” is discussing with various political forces for this purpose. and started the conversation. Gerald Daronin, Minister of the Interior and Sébastien LeCorneau, Minister of Defense of France and some other officials will accompany him on this trip.

Macron after landing at an airport in The archipelago, 1,500 kilometers east of Australia, said it wanted to discuss the future of New Caledonia with all groups. are wandering New Caledonia is of particular importance to France militarily and geopolitically, as well as because of its large nickel deposits. Unrest and economic reconstruction will pay. Last week, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimated the damage caused to the economy of New Caledonia in the shadow of these disturbances to be at least 150 million euros. Protesters have burned or looted 4,000 shops and businesses in and around Noumea – such as Renault and Carrefour, which are largely symbols of France’s presence. They also blocked the feeder road to the airport with new barriers. According to experts, the damage caused during these riots will soon reach one billion euros. Is. Six people, including two police officers, were killed in the shooting. Gasoline, food and medicine are becoming scarce in this area. The people of French origin in this region lock themselves in their houses and form armed self-help groups. Macron will undoubtedly try to reconcile the French and the natives Kanak to mediate in this area. However, he himself is not considered neutral: his Renaissance party sparked the explosion of violence last week when it passed the archipelago’s new election law along with right-wing parties. This law favors the “white” French in the region. This decision of the French National Assembly acted like a spark in the powder store.

Due to the tense and restless situation, the French government has declared a state of emergency in this region of the country.

Before the Olympic Games in Paris, the Olympic flame was actually supposed to stop in New Caledonia. But now this is not happening due to the escalation of unrest. The arrival of the Olympic flame was scheduled for June 11, and French Sports Minister Amelie Odia-Castro said a “return to calm” in the region should be a priority.

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

Some local leaders fear that this move will dilute the Kanak native vote and make them a minority.

Since the beginning of the unrest, hundreds of People have been arrested in New Caledonia. Unrest on this scale has been unprecedented in the region since 1988.

end of message /