The French government has deployed military units to New Caledonia amid continuing civil unrest in the French South Pacific territory.
The troops will back up police efforts to secure ports and the main airport in the capital. French President Emmanuel Macron has declared a state of emergency to last at least 12 days.
Mayhem swept the French island territory after France’s parliament passed a new law overnight on Wednesday.
The French National Assembly voted 351-153 to pass a Paris-proposed constitutional amendment granting voting rights to French citizens who have lived in the overseas province of France for at least 10 years.
Declaring that restricting the voting franchise to indigenous Kanaks and citizens who lived in the territory before the accord was "undemocratic", French Home Affairs and Overseas minister Gérald Darmanin tabled the bill to extend voting rights to residents arriving from mainland France.
Burnt-out cars in the parking lot of the old hospital on the outskirts of Noumea on May 16, 2024, amid protests linked to a debate on a constitutional bill aimed at enlarging the electorate for upcoming elections of the overseas French territory of New Caledonia.
© AFP 2023 / DELPHINE MAYEUR
Critics of the legislation including the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) immediately pointed to the risk of the indigenous population becoming "marginalized" with the new law cutting their political representation in local institutions such as provincial assemblies and the local parliament.
Clashes erupted once the law was passed, with public buildings and cars torched. There have been reports of gunfire exchanged between rioters and civil defense groups and an attempted prison break-out.
Hundreds of people, including around 100 police and gendarmes, have been injured. At least five people have reportedly died in the violence gripping Noumea, including a gendarme. A curfew was declared and TikTok banned. FLNKS has condemned the violence, urging dialogue to resolve the crisis.
In another twist to the developments, France was urged to “stop a smear campaign” against Azerbaijan after Gerard Darmanin alleged links between Baku and the leaders of the independence movement of New Caledonia during an interview with France-2.
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizad emphatically rejected the claim and condemned the French side’s “insulting expressions.”
The Normandie provincial road, outside Noumea on May 16, 2024, amid protests linked to a debate on a constitutional bill aimed at enlarging the electorate for upcoming elections of the overseas French territory of New Caledonia.
© AFP 2023 / DELPHINE MAYEUR
Why New Caledonia Matters
There are several underlying causes of the current crisis in New Caledonia.
Firstly, New Caledonia’s natural wealth. New Caledonia ranks third among the top nickel producers, boasting around 11 percent of the world's total nickel reserves. This highly versatile metal is a crucial component in the transition to electric vehicles. New Caledonia produced 193,800 tons of nickel in 2023, according to GlobalData, out of 3.3 million tonnes globally.
Secondly, New Caledonia is one of five island territories straddling the Indo-Pacific region that France wishes to keep control over. It is located at the heart of the geopolitically important maritime region witnessing heightened jostling for influence.
New Caledonia as viewed by France a regional “hub” to implement its Indo-Pacific strategy, relying on its military presence on the island.
The New Caledonian Armed Forces (FANC) have three army bases, the Pointe Chalaix Naval Base, and Air Force and Naval Aviation based at the Paul Klein Air Base. In 2022 France announced it would increase its military surveillance potential in the Pacific by building a new docking quay at the Chaleix naval base.
Continuing to retain its grasp on New Caledonia can be seen as central to Macron’s ambitions of boosting French influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Thirdly, the developments in New Caledonia also come as Macron has been seeking to recover his reputational losses over the debaccle in France's former African colonies.
New Caledonia's political future remains uncertain. The pro-France outcome of the 2021 referendum, was rejected by all independence parties including the oldest — the Union Calédonienne (UC) — which boycotted it. French Loyalists have claimed that existing voting restrictions exclude thousands of potentially pro-France voters.
With local elections looming in May, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin indicated the need for a solution — which came in the form of the constitutional amendment on voting rights. But this needed to be pushed through in time for the May vote, offering up a “broader electorate.”
The president of then New Caledonian Congress, elected under previous rules, is Louis Mapou — an indigenous Kanak. The congress also has a pro-independence majority.
Emmanuel Macron has delayed ratifying the amendment, allowing for negotiations with representatives of the French territory in Paris, but has set a deadline of June for a settlement to be reached.