• Deadly riots erupted in New Caledonia, a French overseas territory, sparked by a proposed constitutional change to expand voting rights, leading to at least four deaths, hundreds of injuries, and violent clashes between protesters, militias, and police.
  • The French government has deployed 2,700 police and gendarmes, declared a state of emergency, and expects to regain control of the situation “in the coming hours”. Armed forces are protecting New Caledonia’s airports and port, with French police en route after the violence.
  • Over 200 arrests have been made, with 64 officers injured, and road blockades causing food and medicine shortages. At least two people have been killed and over 300 injured in the riots amid controversial changes to voting rules. The ongoing violence in New Caledonia, prompted by socio-political tensions and a controversial electoral reform, has resulted in fatalities, injuries, and significant damage, raising concerns about public safety and resource scarcity.
  • A majority in New Caledonia voted to remain part of France, with 56.4% voting against independence, but the result was a disappointment for many Kanaks who had hoped for an independent state. The unrest was sparked by a bill granting long-term French residents voting rights, causing tensions among the indigenous Kanak community who fear a dilution of their vote.
  • The tensions are related to disputes over France’s role in New Caledonia, which is located hundreds of miles off Australia’s eastern coast, has a population of over 280,000 people, and receives annual financial support of around one billion euros from Paris. The riots stemmed from a bill debated in France to grant French citizens in New Caledonia the right to vote in provincial polls, which the pro-independence movement feared would weaken the political influence of the Indigenous Kanak people.
  • The riots followed years of economic difficulties in New Caledonia, and the escalating conflict led to looting of stores and arson attacks on public buildings, with around 20,000 jobs at risk of disappearing. The FLNKS is the driving force behind the independence movement, and despite the defeat of the separatists, there are two more possible referendums on independence scheduled until 2024.
  • France annexed New Caledonia in 1853, and the territory has long sought independence, leading to ongoing tensions and three failed independence referendums since 2018. Large disparities of wealth exist between different ethnic groups, and 40,000 people have moved to New Caledonia from France since 1998.
  • French President Macron held negotiations with both pro-French and pro-independence Kanak leaders, offering to abandon the voting change if a new status defining citizenship is agreed upon, as the violence is the result of long-standing political tensions between the two camps. New Caledonia is not part of the EU but uses the Pacific Franc as its currency.
  • Road barricades by protesters are causing a dire situation with medicine and food shortages for the population. France has declared a state of emergency, giving authorities additional powers to control gatherings and movement, and has sent 500 police reinforcements to the island.
  • New Caledonia’s economy has been impacted by a crisis in the nickel mining industry, and tensions have intensified since a 2021 referendum on independence, with the French military mobilized to restore order. The unrest has resulted in widespread destruction, including burnt stores, and has led residents to resort to looting for essential items like food and medicine, highlighting the shortage of supplies and the desperation of the population.

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