Macron to Visit New Caledonia Amid Deadly Riots as Australia Moves to Evacuate Tourists.

By Olusiji Balogun

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to embark on a visit to New Caledonia, the Pacific territory engulfed in a week of violent riots sparked by electoral changes enforced by Paris.

The decision to dispatch Macron underscores the French government’s confidence in the effectiveness of reinforced security measures in quelling the unrest, as stated by government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot on Tuesday.

Macron, addressing his defence and security council on Monday evening, acknowledged “clear progress in re-establishing order” amidst the turmoil.

Simultaneously, Australia and New Zealand have initiated evacuation operations for their citizens stranded in the archipelago. Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, confirmed clearance for two flights following the closure of the international airport.

“We continue to work on further flights,” Wong stated. Shortly after, a Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft landed in Nouméa, capable of accommodating 124 passengers, according to the defence department.

Approximately 3,000 tourists, including over 300 Australians and nearly 250 New Zealanders, are believed to be stranded in New Caledonia, reported Agence France-Presse.

New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters, emphasized the urgency of repatriating citizens, announcing the dispatch of a plane to evacuate around 50 New Zealanders. “In cooperation with France and Australia, we are working on subsequent flights in coming days,” Peters affirmed.

The unrest in New Caledonia, home to 270,000 people, erupted over French proposals to introduce new voting regulations, granting voting rights to tens of thousands of non-Indigenous residents.

Indigenous Kanaks, constituting approximately 40% of the population and often economically disadvantaged, argue that the proposed voting rules would undermine their political representation.

In response to the turmoil, France deployed 1,000 security forces to the territory, where seven nights of violence have resulted in six fatalities, including two gendarmes, and hundreds injured.

French authorities reported the dismantling of 76 roadblocks along the route between Nouméa and La Tontouta international airport, a distance of 40 miles (60km), by approximately 600 heavily armed police and paramilitaries.

Despite efforts to restore order, signs of unrest persist, with anti-riot measures deployed in the capital and reports of armed individuals in Nouméa suburbs.

Mayor Sonia Lagarde of Nouméa and government heads from four other French overseas territories have called for the postponement of voting changes, citing the risk of “civil war.” Meanwhile, the New Caledonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) highlighted “catastrophic” economic repercussions, with 150 businesses reportedly looted and set ablaze.

The French government has implicated a group known as the Ground Action Coordination Cell (CCAT) in orchestrating the riots, while CCAT contends that it seeks a peaceful resolution to address the long-standing discrimination faced by Indigenous Kanaks.

Resident Laloua Savea voiced frustration, stating, “The islands are on fire, for sure, but we have to remember that they tried to be heard for a long time and it led to nothing. It had to degenerate for the state to see us, for the politicians to see us.”

The situation in New Caledonia remains fluid as Macron’s visit and evacuation efforts unfold amidst continued unrest and political tension.