New Caledonia is in uncertainty this Friday, May 24, the day after a visit by Emmanuel Macron. The French president promised that the contested electoral reform on the archipelago would not pass “ not strong » and maintained the course of ending the crisis by the end of June.
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Arriving Thursday morning in Nouméa, the head of state held consultations with the loyalists, in favor of this reform, and the separatists, who are hostile to it. This so-called “thaw” reform plans to expand the electorate for provincial elections. This text, adopted by the National Assembly on May 15, ignited the powder on May 13 and triggered a wave of violence that the island had not seen for four decades.
The rioters consider the way in which this reform has progressed unacceptable, when according to them it will dilute the weight of indigenous people in political life. “ I am committed to ensuring that this reform does not pass through force “, promised Mr. Macron who asked “ the resumption of dialogue with a view to a global agreement » to grant the right to vote to more voters, by the end of June, so that then “ this agreement can be submitted to the vote of the Caledonians “.
Before this political deadline, the “ objective is to restore order in the days to come “, he warned. “ We will therefore take step by step each district, each roundabout, each dam ”, with among others “ 3 000 internal security forces “.
“ Not the Wild West »
In a television interview with New Caledonian journalists broadcast on Friday, Emmanuel Macron thus justified the forces involved: the New Caledoniait’s not ” not the Wild West “.
“ What I am asking for immediately is the lifting of all blockades, the lifting of points of violence, and that there be a clear call for these liftings. By FLNKS [le Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste]the CCAT [la cellule de coordination des actions de terrain] and all responsible “, he added. The FLNKS is an independence movement invited to the negotiations, and the CCAT a radical independence organization accused by the authorities of fueling violence.
Six deaths, including two gendarmes, and considerable damage have been reported since the start of the clashes. The state of emergency established on May 16 continues to prevail, with the accompanying measures: twelve-hour daily curfew, ban on gatherings, transport of weapons and sale of alcohol, ban on application TikTok. This last measure, challenged before the Council of State, was confirmed by the administrative jurisdiction on Thursday.
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The roadblocks set up by the rioters also remain in place. On the east coast of the Big Island, the crossroads between the road which crosses the center and the one which runs along the ocean is, for example, blocked. Passage is only granted to emergency vehicles.
“ Phenomenal means »
In the Montravel district of Nouméa, activists are waiting Friday for an official communication from the FLNKS on “ instructions regarding the continuation of the movement “. “ We also have to meet with the elders to discuss. For our part, we stand ready to continue the mobilization since apparently the President of the Republic does not want to listen to us », Explains Yamel, one of the rioters, to Agence France-Presse.
“ We are all waiting for the FLNKS decision », Said the leader of the loyalists, Sonia Backès, on RRB radio. “ An agreement is possible if everyone is in good faith. […] If everyone is of good will to show that we are ready to live together on this earth, it will work. », Estimated the president of the Southern Province of New Caledonia.
But, she warned, the return to calm will take time. “ The operations that are carried out neighborhood by neighborhood require phenomenal resources. […] The police are being shot at with live ammunition. The dams are still very heavy to clear ”, according to Ms. Backès.
Nouméa international airport closed to commercial flights until Tuesday
Meanwhile, life is slowly returning to life. The Bank of New Caledonia, for example, announced the reopening of five of its 18 branches on Friday. Three of them were set on fire. La Tontouta International Airport, on the other hand, has remained closed since May 14. No commercial flights will take place until Tuesday, its operator, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, announced on Friday.
Neighboring countries are working to find ways to evacuate their nationals. The government of Vanuatu indicated that it was organizing the repatriation of some 160 students during the day on Friday, with three flights. According to images from the VBTC television channel, it was a French military plane which struck first.
There New Zealand affirmed that repatriation remained “ an urgent priority », after the arrival of 50 of its nationals Friday morning in Auckland. Australian and New Zealand military aircraft are performing rotations with Nouméa airfield on Friday, according to the Flightradar24 website.
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