This Sunday, June 2, the High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia, representative of the State in the archipelago, wanted to be reassuring: “The State is fully committed to ensuring that the European elections are held on Sunday June 9th across the country.” A month after the start of the violence on New Caledonian soil, “the voting materials have arrived, preparations are underway for their transport to the communes and the polling stations are being counted”, continued Louis Le Franc, then that New Caledonia has been in the grip of its most serious crisis since the 1980s since May 13.
Although the state of emergency ended on May 28, several restrictive measures continue to persist on the archipelago, such as the ban on all travel on roads and in public places throughout the territory, from 18 to 6 a.m. the following morning. This curfew, which is valid at least until June 10, does not however concern the travel of personnel entrusted with a public service mission or the medical professions.
The ban on carrying and transporting weapons, gathering and selling alcohol also remains in place. These “exceptional police measures”, notably supervised by a high commission order taken on May 27 and valid from Tuesday May 28 to Monday June 3, also imply that “the retail sale and transport of fuel, combustion or corrosive product, in any transportable container […] is prohibited throughout the territory of New Caledonia.”
Airport closed until further notice
For its part, Nouméa-La Tontouta international airport “remains closed until further notice”, the State representative in the archipelago said in a press release. This airport, whose closure was decided the day after the start of the violent riots, was initially scheduled to reopen this Sunday, June 2. “However, while keeping the airport closed, State services and all stakeholders concerned are mobilized to allow certain commercial flights to resume as soon as possible,” assures the High Commission, which specifies that “more than 2,300 French and foreign tourists were able to be escorted back to their country of residence.”
“Two flights took off from Nouméa-La Tontouta international airport today [samedi 1er juin]one to Wallis and Futuna, the other to Paris”, we can also read in the press release. As of Wednesday June 5, 2024 and “subject to security conditions”, The Magenta aerodrome will be reopened to commercial flights within New Caledonia.
According to the authorities, the city of Nouméa came back “entirely” under the control of the police on Friday May 31. But despite the clearance operations of the police, roadblocks remain present and independence activists determined to continue their mobilization. “You still have violence, stores, public facilities which have been totally ransacked, set on fire, looted, burned,” confirmed the Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on France 3, although he also assured that New Caledonians would be able to vote in the European elections. The dialogue mission established by Emmanuel Macron during his visit on May 23 is still in progress.