PARIS, France: French police reinforcements have begun arriving in New Caledonia to restore control in the capital, Noumea, following a massive operation, as reported by the top French official in the Pacific island territory on Friday.
By Friday evening, the number of police and gendarmes on the French-ruled island is set to increase to 2,700 from the current 1,700. The reinforcements come in response to riots that began on Monday, resulting in four deaths and hundreds of arrests. Although Thursday night was relatively calm, High Commissioner Louis Le Franc mentioned there were still areas of concern and confrontation in Noumea.
To address the crisis, operations to supply food and medicine to the public are underway, with teams including mine-clearing specialists working to remove road barricades set up by activists. Le Franc emphasized that reinforcements will be deployed massively and immediately to regain control of areas lost during the unrest.
The riots were sparked by anger over an electoral reform, leading to the destruction of businesses, cars being torched, shops looted, and road barricades erected, cutting off access to essential supplies. The New Caledonia government assured that the island has a two-month supply of food, with distribution being the main issue.
The rioting began over a new bill passed in Paris on Tuesday, allowing French residents living in New Caledonia for ten years to vote in provincial elections. Local leaders fear this will dilute the indigenous Kanak vote, creating a new flashpoint in the long-standing debate over France’s role in the mineral-rich southwest Pacific island, located 1,500 km east of Australia.
The Pacific Conference of Churches and regional inter-governmental groups have called for France to withdraw the bill, urging the United Nations to lead a dialogue mission to New Caledonia. They highlighted the breakdown in dialogue between the French government and the Kanak people. Pacific Elders Voice, a group of former Pacific leaders, also emphasized the need for France to consult with the indigenous Kanak population and respect their calls for self-determination.
