New Zealand and Australian authorities have both indicated they are prepared to send military planes to New Caledonia to repatriate their nationals, but are currently waiting to get the green light from French authorities. A sign that the crisis on the Caillou is being monitored very closely by the countries of the region and that it worries them.
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“ Our armed forces are ready to take off, pending the resumption of commercial flights. But the French authorities tell us that the situation on the ground does not allow the planes to land. We continue to request authorization. »
The tweet from Penny Wong, the minister Australian of Foreign Affairs, could not be clearer, reports our correspondent in Sydney, Grégory Plesse.
He echoes the statements of his counterpart New ZealandersWinston Peters, who also indicated that he was waiting for the green light from Paris to send a military plane to Noumea and repatriate its nationals: “ We are ready to take off and await authorization from the French authorities to know when these flights can take place safely. »
We are working to support Australians in New Caledonia.
The Australian Defense Force is ready to fly, pending commercial flights resuming.
French authorities advise the situation on the ground is preventing flights. We continue to pursue approvals.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) May 18, 2024
Read alsoNew Caledonia: the French state launches a vast operation to clear the road to the airport
Great concern
The two countries also indicated that they were closely monitoring the situation in New Caledonia. In recent days, several members of the Australian government have spoken out on the subject, notably the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who recalled that his country granted “ great importance to our relationship with New Caledonia and the French State “.
This is the first time in decades that the highest authority in Australia has spoken on this issue, a sign of the great concern of the island continent, as of all the countries in the region.
On Saturday, the government of New Caledonia estimated that 3,200 people were stranded in the absence of flights, either because they could not leave the archipelago or because they could not reach it.