The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron is on his way to New Caledonia to renew dialogue and try to restore order. On site, the authorities say that the situation is “calmer” since last night. The latest information.
10:06 – Independentists open to discussion with Macron
The coalition of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) indicated this Wednesday, May 22, that it “takes note” of the arrival of Emmanuel Macron in New Caledonia. An event which “could constitute a first response” to the demands. The coalition says it is “waiting for an announcement (…) which will breathe new life into a peaceful dialogue” on the island.
09:55 – 280 arrests
The High Commissioner of the Republic announces that “more than 280 rioters” have been arrested since the start of the violence on the archipelago. Louis Le Franc also indicates that “security operations were carried out in the districts of Vallée-du-Tir, Tuband, Ducos and Normandie”.
09:40 – Ciotti demands the “reestablishment of republican order”
The President of the Republicans Eric Ciotti expects Emmanuel Macron to “send a message of restoring republican order” during his express visit to New Caledonia, as he indicated this morning on BFMTV/RMC. The latter did not fail to denounce the “lack of anticipation”, particularly in the policy pursued by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin.
09:20 – Raphaël Glucksmann invites Emmanuel Macron to “push back” the reform
Head of the list for the Socialist Party in the European elections, Raphaël Glucksmann asked Emmanuel Macron to “push back” the reform of the electorate in New Caledonia, this Tuesday on France 2 in the 4V of Télématin. For him, it is necessary to reconnect with “the spirit of the Matignon agreements”, and believes that “entrusting the file to Gérald Darmanin and hastening everything without local consensus precipitated chaos”.
???????? “Entrusting the file to Gérald Darmanin and rushing everything without local consensus precipitated chaos”
Raphaël Glucksmann asks Emmanuel Macron to “push back” the reform of the electoral body in New Caledonia. #Les4V @rglucks1 pic.twitter.com/6FoT9Bb64C
— Telematin (@telematin) May 22, 2024
09:09 – Emmanuel Macron’s trip: it is “perhaps too late” according to Marine Le Pen
Edouard Philippe is not the only one to put pressure on the head of state. The head of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen, estimated that it was “perhaps too late” for the government when it went to the archipelago, live on CNews this Tuesday. She highlights the government’s “incalculable number of errors” in the New Caledonia issue. It will be “very difficult to get everyone back around the table in Nouméa” according to the former candidate for the presidency of the Republic.
09:03 – “We will need perspectives” warns Edouard Philippe
Emmanuel Macron under pressure. The scale of the violence forced the head of state to travel to New Caledonia to try to renew dialogue with the locals. A situation analyzed by the former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, not really tender with the President of the Republic. “What matters most in New Caledonia is the political agreement between the separatists and the loyalists. This is the top priority. The political space of this agreement cannot be below the Matignon agreements , nor beyond independence since the Caledonian people voted against it” he said this Tuesday from Bayonne. “We will need perspectives: we cannot, every two years, every five years, ask ourselves the question of whether we want to stay in the French Republic or not,” said the president of the party. Horizons.
08:47 – “The majority of IP addresses” in the cyberattack come from Russia
“The majority of IP addresses” of the perpetrators of the cyberattacks targeting New Caledonia come from Russia, indicates Christopher Gyges, member of the government in charge of digital issues with BFMTV. This attack appears “like provocation” in view of Emmanuel Macron’s arrival on the archipelago. No less than 95,000 connection attempts in a few seconds were identified in an “unprecedented attack” for the island.
08:39 – A stopover in Canada for the presidential plane
According to information from Ouest France, the plane taken by Emmanuel Macron to travel to New Caledonia stopped for a technical stopover in Vancouver in Canada. “A few elements have filtered out from the President’s state of mind,” indicates the daily. The decision whether or not to suspend the convocation of the congress has not yet been made.
08:28 – Macron wants to “re-engage in dialogue with all parties”
Accompanied by Gérald Darmanin, Sébastien Lecornu and Marie Guévenoux, Emmanuel Macron should only stay a dozen hours in New Caledonia. The time for him to “express his solidarity” with the locals, “thank the security forces” on site, in order to restore “republican order” informs the Elysée. He should also “re-engage in dialogue with all parties, particularly elected officials”. A “Republican time” will be shared with them.
08:18 – “I hope that President Macron’s announcements (..) will be up to par” declares Edouard Philippe
“The situation is terribly sad and dangerous. France, which has a complicated relationship with its colonial history, has the possibility of finding an original solution, even if it is more difficult than three months ago” indicated the former -Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, this Tuesday, during a public meeting in Bayonne. “I hope that the announcements of President Macron”, who should soon set foot on Caledonian soil, “will be up to the situation” he also declared.
08:14 – The evacuation of tourists continues
This Wednesday, the High Commissioner ensures that around a hundred tourists have been evacuated. Australia and New Zealand have chartered flights to repatriate their hundreds of nationals stranded in overseas territory. However, the archipelago’s international airport remains closed to commercial flights until Saturday morning.
08:10 – GIGN and RAID deployed
On the island, GIGN and RAID units are deployed on “highly sensitive” points, indicates the High Commissioner of the Republic in a press release. The 1,050 reinforcements from the internal security forces and civil security present on site are continuously engaged on the ground and will soon be at full strength. More than 90 dams have already been neutralized and are gradually being cleaned, thanks to the support of private companies,” he continued.
08:04 – An “unprecedented” cyberattack in New Caledonia
On Tuesday, the archipelago suffered a “cyberattack of unprecedented force” which has since been “stopped” announced the New Caledonian government. Facts which occurred “shortly after” the announcement of Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the island. An internet service provider suffered an external attack on an IP address, so as to saturate the New Caledonian network. Since then, the State and the Post and Telecommunications Office (OPT) have managed to stop this attempted intrusion “before there is significant damage”.
08:00 – Relative calm on the island since last night
In Nouméa, although the situation remains precarious, the night was “calmer than the previous one” in the words of the High Commissioner of the Republic of New Caledonia. two schools were still burned down in Nouméa. Some neighborhoods remain almost inaccessible and plagued by rioters. This Wednesday morning, fires were visible, particularly in the industrial zone of Ducos, according to an AFP journalist.
21/05/24 – 23:17 – “I hope that President Macron’s announcements will be up to the situation”, declared E. Philippe
“I hope that President Macron’s announcements will be up to the situation. The situation is terribly sad and dangerous. France, which has a complicated relationship with its colonial history, has a possibility of finding an original solution, even if it’s more difficult than three months ago,” said former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.