NOUMEA: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that ‘more talks are needed’ on proposed voting reforms which triggered over a week of deadly riots, in New Caledonia. These remarks came as he made a ‘high-stakes’ visit to the French Pacific territory, in a bid to ‘ease tensions’.

Since the 13 of May, looting, arson and clashes have left six people dead, whilst hundreds have been injured. The unrest erupted over a ‘French’ voting reform plan which indigenous Kanaks say will ‘dilute their voice’.

“I have pledged that this reform will not be forced through in the current context” Macron told reporters in the capital of New Caledonia.

“We will allow some weeks to allow a calming of tensions and resumption of dialogue to find a broad accord” (amongst all parties), Macron stated.

He added that he plans to review the situation again ‘within a month’.

Caledonians will be asked to vote on their future, ‘if’ leaders can reach an over-arching agreement, Macron said. The voting reform had been approved by the French parliament lower house but still requires a final ratification.

The president stepped off a 24-hour flight, arriving in Noumea in the wake of hundreds of police and military reinforcements dispatched from elsewhere in France.

New Caledonia has been ruled by Paris since the 1800s. Many indigenous Kanaks still ‘resent’ France’s influence over ‘their islands’ and want fuller ‘autonomy’ or ‘independence’.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2024