May 27th 2024.
France's President Emmanuel Macron has made the decision to lift the state of emergency in New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific, in order to promote political dialogue. This comes following a period of unrest that resulted in the death of seven people and widespread destruction. According to the president's office, the state of emergency will not be extended and will end on Monday at 8pm in Paris, which is 5am on Tuesday in New Caledonia.
The goal of this decision is to facilitate discussions between the different groups involved in the conflict, including the pro-independence movement FLNKS, the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front, and local leaders who have the ability to call for an end to the barricades. President Macron has been advocating for the removal of these barricades, which have been set up by both sides of the divide in New Caledonia between the Indigenous Kanaks, who desire independence, and the pro-France leaders.
In a statement, President Macron stressed that this step is necessary for the start of meaningful negotiations. This move follows his visit to New Caledonia on Thursday. The statement also announced that an additional 480 gendarmes will be deployed to the archipelago in the coming hours, adding to the already 3500-strong security forces. Unfortunately, among the seven people who lost their lives in the recent violence were two gendarmes.
The state of emergency was initially put in place on May 15th for a period of at least 12 days to give authorities increased powers to address the violence. These measures included the ability to detain individuals who are deemed a threat to public order, as well as expanded search and seizure powers. Those who violate these measures could face jail time.
The unrest in New Caledonia began as the French parliament debated changes to the electoral system in the territory, which raised concerns among the Indigenous Kanak people about being further marginalized. In response, the leader of a pro-independence party called on supporters to remain mobilized and resist the French government's efforts. In a separate statement, the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front urged President Macron to withdraw the electoral reform bill in order to resolve the crisis.
New Caledonia has been under French control since 1853 and became an overseas territory after World War II. French citizenship was granted to all Kanaks in 1957.
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