IA burned-out car was parked in the middle of the main road in Rivière-Salée, north of Noumea. Masked young men waved Kanak flags as vehicles passed by after days of unrest. The surroundings were desolate. Shop fronts were destroyed, buildings burned, and sidewalks and roads were strewn with debris. A group of young men were roaming the area.
The violence that erupted last week was New Caledonia’s worst since unrest involving independence activists swept the French Pacific territory in the 1980s.
The archipelago of 270,000 people is angry at France’s plans to impose new voting rules. The plan would expand the rights of French residents living in New Caledonia to vote in provincial elections, which some fear would weaken the votes of the Kanak indigenous people. Kanaks make up approximately 40% of the population.
Shocking images emerged from Noumea: black smoke billowing over the capital and cars, shops and buildings set on fire. Mobs angry at the electoral changes also set up roadblocks, cutting off access to medicine and food. On May 15, a 12-day state of emergency was declared, and curfews across the country remained in effect.
Hundreds of soldiers and armed police have been deployed to restore order and maintain peace. As of Friday, five people had died, including two police officers. The other three were Kanaks.
On Friday, local authorities said the situation was “calmer” after hundreds of French marines began arriving.
However, despite calls for calm from political groups, especially pro-independence parties who are most angry about the planned voting changes, reports of unrest continue.
“We don’t want our people to disappear and we will fight until Kanaki is free,” said two rioters who spoke on condition of anonymity. They stood near a roundabout in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, as a car burned.
The men, aged in their 20s, clashed with police but said they did not engage in vandalism.
“We don’t rob stores, we try to tell our brothers not to do it, not to set fires, but they don’t listen to anyone anymore,” one of them said.
In the southern part of the city, where most Europeans live, fear reigns supreme. People organized themselves and set up roadblocks to defend their homes. Many people have guns.
Jérôme’s family has been living in New Caledonia for generations. He lived in the Sainte-Marie district and married a Carnac woman. He said his heart was broken.
“The neighbors are crazy, they’re armed and ready to shoot, and I’m trying to calm them down. How are we going to get back together in the future?” he said.
The frustration that erupted into deadly violence this week has been building for years. The proposed changes to the electoral law mark the latest flashpoint in long-running tensions over France’s role on the island.
Although New Caledonia has rejected independence three times in referendums, the cause still enjoys strong support from the Kanak people, whose ancestors have lived on the islands for thousands of years. A third referendum in 2021 remains in doubt from pro-independence groups, which had sought to delay the vote because of the coronavirus crisis. Still, it went ahead and was boycotted by independent groups. This has since led to growing dissatisfaction.
New Caledonia was colonized by France in the second half of the 19th century and has a special status, with some local powers transferred from Paris.
French lawmakers this week advanced plans to allow outsiders who moved to New Caledonia at least a decade ago to vote in the territory’s elections. Pro-independence forces say this will weaken Kanak’s votes.
The proposal still must be approved by both houses of the French parliament later this year. President Emmanuel Macron said French lawmakers will vote on constitutional amendments by the end of June unless New Caledonia’s opposition can reach a new deal.
Opposition to voting reform has been building in France for months. The Field Action Coordination Team (CCAT), established in November last year, has been driving the protest movement. It was an offshoot of the Caledonian League and the radical fringe of the Caledonian League. Supports the independent Kanak Democratic Front party.
The group, which strongly opposes constitutional reforms proposed by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin to expand the electorate – and is frustrated that pro-independence politicians are unable to have their voices heard – has been campaigning for months. Mobilizing young people in working class communities.
In April, when CCAT called on people to mobilize against changes to electoral laws, tens of thousands of people, including many young people, poured into the streets of Noumea from across the territory.
In a country characterized by inequality and where most of the population is young, the message is appealing. New Caledonia has mineral wealth – it is one of the world’s largest producers of nickel – but the wealth is unevenly distributed.
Despite efforts to close the equality gap and improve employment opportunities, Kanak people remain underrepresented in positions of power and responsibility.
Kanaks are generally less educated than non-indigenous Caledonians. They also make up a large proportion of the prison population, which contributes to a sense of frustration, especially among young Kanak living in urban areas.
French Justice Minister Eric Dupont-Moretti called on prosecutors to “take the strongest possible action against the perpetrators of the violence”, while a local business group estimated the damage concentrated around Noumea at 200 million euros.
Thierry de Greslan, a representative of the Noumea hospital, said his main concern was for his patients amid the worsening situation.
“We estimate that three to four people may have died due to lack of access to medical services,” he said, adding that it was difficult for patients and medical staff to reach the facility due to roadblocks.
With the hospital’s operating rooms operating around the clock and staff prepared for any crisis, de Graceland said he was worried about the future.
“We are in a state of urban guerrilla warfare, with gunshot wounds every night,” he said. “We are ready to face this.”
AFP and AP contributed to this report
