Macron emphasizes importance of restoring calm in riot-torn New Caledonia

French President Emmanuel Macron has taken decisive action in response to the deadly unrest in New Caledonia, a French Pacific archipelago. Macron has deployed around 3,000 gendarmes, police, and other security forces to the region since the violence began on 13 May.

Macron urged the removal of protesters’ barricades in riot-hit New Caledonia and announced the deployment of police forces to help restore order. The gendarmes will remain in the archipelago as long as necessary, even as French security services focus on safeguarding the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Pro-independence Indigenous Kanak leaders, who had previously declined Macron’s offer of talks by video, met with him in person on Thursday. They joined a meeting in Nouméa with rival pro-Paris leaders to discuss the future of New Caledonia, which became French territory in 1853.

Macron called for a minute of silence for the six people killed in shootings during the violence, including two gendarmes. He urged local leaders to use their influence to help restore order and called for the removal of barricades in Nouméa and beyond.

The violence in New Caledonia is the most severe since the 1980s, prompting the imposition of a state of emergency. Macron emphasized the importance of dialogue and decision-making to address the economic, political, and social challenges facing the archipelago.

The French legislature in Paris recently approved a bill allowing long-term residents of New Caledonia to participate in provincial elections, a move that has sparked controversy and fears of further marginalization of the Kanak population. Macron’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between different factions in New Caledonia have been ongoing, culminating in a 2018 referendum in which the majority voted to remain part of France.