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    • Pro-independence leader calls on protesters in New Caledonia to 'maintain resistance' against France

    Smoke rises during protests in Noumea, New Caledonia, Wednesday May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Nicolas Job, File) Smoke rises during protests in Noumea, New Caledonia, Wednesday May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Nicolas Job, File)
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    Nice, France -

    The leader of a pro-independence party in New Caledonia on Saturday called on supporters to 鈥渞emain mobilized鈥 across the French Pacific archipelago and 鈥渕aintain resistance鈥 against the Paris government's efforts to impose electoral reforms that the Indigenous Kanak people fear would further marginalize them.

    Christian Tein, the leader of the pro-independence party known as The Field Acton Coordination Unit, addressed supporters and protesters in a video message. It was posted on social media two days after he and other pro-independence leaders met with French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to the territory following unrest that left seven dead and a trail of destruction.

    Macron repeatedly pushed for the removal of protesters鈥 barricades with leaders on both sides of New Caledonia鈥檚 bitter divide 鈥 Indigenous Kanaks, who want independence, and the pro-Paris leaders, who do not.

    The French president told them that the state of emergency imposed by Paris for at least 12 days on May 15 to boost police powers could only be lifted if local leaders call for a clearing away of barricades that demonstrators and people trying to protect their neighborhoods erected in the capital, Noum茅a, and beyond.

    In the video message, Tein called on protesters to 鈥渟lightly loosen the grip鈥 on their barricades in Noum茅a, its suburbs and along the archipelago's main roads in order to transport fuel, food, medicine and facilitate access to health care for the inhabitants of the islands in the North and South.

    But, Tein insisted the barricades will remain in place until French authorities lift house arrest warrants for several of his party members and Macron's government scraps the electoral reform that Kanaks fear will dilute their influence by allowing some more recent arrivals in the archipelago to vote in local elections.

    鈥淲e remain mobilized (and) maintain all (forms) of resistance," Tein said and urged supporters to remain steadfast and refrain from violence. 鈥淭here has been too much suffering, there鈥檚 too much at stake and we must see (this) through (and) achieve our goals in a coordinated, structured and organized way.鈥 He added: 鈥淥ur main objective is for our country to obtain full sovereignty.鈥

    Barricades made up of charred vehicles and other debris have turned parts of Noum茅a into no-go zones and made traveling around perilous, including for the sick requiring medical treatment and for families fretting about food and water after shops were pillaged and torched.

    In the past seven months, Tein's Field Acton Coordination Unit has organized massive, peaceful marches in New Caledonia against the Paris-backed voting reform. The unrest began early last week after a demonstration against the legislation under discussion in the French parliament turned violent.

    Both French houses of parliament in Paris have already approved the overhaul. The next step was to have been a special Congress of both houses meeting in Versailles to implement it by amending France鈥檚 Constitution. That had been expected by the end of June.

    Speaking after meeting leaders in New Caledonia, Macron said he won鈥檛 force through the contested voting reform that sparked the territory鈥檚 worst unrest in decades.

    Macron called on local leaders to come up with an alternate agreement for the archipelago鈥檚 future and laid out a roadmap that he said could lead to another referendum for the territory.

    Three earlier referendums were organized between 2018 and 2021 by the French authorities as part of the 1988 peace deal. They produced 鈥渘o鈥 votes against independence although the independence supporters boycotted the last vote in December 2021.

    Macron said another could be on a new political deal for the archipelago that he hopes local leaders will agree on in coming weeks and months after protesters鈥 barricades are dismantled, allowing for a state of emergency to be lifted and for peace to return.

    New Caledonia became French in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III, Napoleon鈥檚 nephew and heir. It became an overseas territory after World War II, with French citizenship granted to all Kanaks in 1957.

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