A man was killed on Thursday in New Caledonia by a police officer’s gunfire during a clash between rioters and police in Thio (east), bringing to eleven the number of deaths since the start of the unrest in the archipelago in mid-May, the Noumea prosecutor told AFP.
A police officer was injured after a stone was thrown at him in the face during a bridge clearing operation in Thio. The police officers were then attacked and shot several times, according to prosecutor Yves Dupas. Several shots were fired in response, injuring two rioters, one of whom died while being taken to hospital, the public prosecutor said.
“Several investigations” have been opened to shed light on this death, the prosecutor said, adding that he would publish a more detailed statement on these facts during the day.
A curfew still in force
Security has not been fully restored in New Caledonia, where clashes between rioters and law enforcement officers related to the reform of the electoral body began on May 13. A situation still tense enough to justify, in the eyes of the High Commission, the maintenance of a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., as well as the ban on the carrying and transport of weapons and the sale of alcohol.
The violence that has been affecting New Caledonia for three months, and which has caused the death of eleven people, including two police officers, has led to a significant wave of departures. Still difficult to quantify, the phenomenon is worrying because of its serious potential consequences, particularly on the health system.
According to figures from the New Caledonian government, the destruction, looting and fires caused at least 2.2 billion euros of damage.