NOUMEA: An alliance of pro-independence parties in New Caledonia has named Christian Tein, a prominent opposition leader currently imprisoned in France, as the chief of their movement, further complicating the ongoing crisis in the French Pacific territory.
Christian Tein, who regards himself as a “political prisoner,” was among seven pro-independence activists transferred from New Caledonia to mainland France in June. The transfer followed a surge in violent unrest that left 11 people dead and intensified the territorial conflict. The violence erupted in response to a proposed reform by Paris that indigenous Kanaks fear will undermine their bid for independence by ensuring their status as a permanent minority.
Tein’s appointment as the head of the Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) highlights his central role in mobilizing the independence movement through his CCAT party. Despite his incarceration, his leadership is seen as a strategic move to consolidate the separatists’ position.
Laurie Humuni, a representative of the RDO party, one of the four parties in the FLNKS alliance, defended Tein’s nomination as a recognition of his party’s significant contribution to the independence cause.
However, the reaction from other alliance members remains uncertain. The UPM and Palika parties, two of the other major groups within the FLNKS, have declined to participate in recent meetings and have indicated they do not support the alliance’s current proposals.
The FLNKS has also expressed willingness to resume negotiations aimed at ending the protests, but with a condition that excludes local anti-independence parties from the talks. “We will have to remove some blockades to allow the population access to essential services, but that does not mean we are abandoning our struggle,” Humuni told AFP.
Meanwhile, the French government has committed to sending a fact-finding mission to New Caledonia. President Emmanuel Macron’s administration has also deployed thousands of troops and police to restore order in the archipelago, located approximately 17,000 kilometers (10,600 miles) from Paris.
