Macron meets independence leaders in New Caledonia

French President Emmanuel Macron began the most delicate part of his visit to the archipelago on Thursday in New Caledonia with a new round of meetings with local political leaders, including separatists, to try to initiate a return to “dialogue” and “security” after more than a week of riots.

After the loyalist representatives, Emmanuel Macron met Thursday at nightfall with the leaders of the independence parties. All components of the independence parties of the archipelago are present around the table, according to the list of the delegation distributed by the Élysée.

Among them are several leaders of the Caledonian Union (UC) and executives of the Palika party. Under house arrest, Christian Tein, member of the UC and leader of the CCAT, the independence collective which is organizing the protest, is also present.

The head of state previously met non-independence activists, including Sonia Backès, leader of the radical branch of the loyalists, and Philippe Dunoyer, figure of Calédonie Ensemble.

Emmanuel Macron has not commented on a possible postponement of the congress which must bring together deputies and senators before the end of June unless an agreement on a global text between separatists and loyalists is reached by then.

This constitutional reform, which is at the origin of the unrest, wishes thawthat is to say, expand the electorate in New Caledonia.

But the French president’s objective is clear: a return as soon as possible […] to peace, calm, security and a resumption of dialoguehe declared as soon as he got off the plane at Nouméa airport.

He promised decisions and advertisement has the end of this dayeven if he assured that he did not No limits time on site.

A movement absolutely new

While since the start of the riots, six people have been killed, including two mobile gendarmes, the head of state observed a minute of silence as a preamble to a first meeting with elected officials and economic actors and followed by an informal lunch and a visit to a police station.

This absolutely unprecedented insurrection movement, no one saw it coming with this level of organization and violencehe said to the gendarmes and police officers present.

A little earlier, he assured that the approximately 3,000 members of the security forces deployed the Olympic and Paralympic Games”,”text”:”will remain as long as necessary, even during the Olympic and Paralympic Games”}}”>will stay as long as necessary, even during the Olympic and Paralympic Games of Paris which end at the beginning of September.

As for the state of emergency in force for a week, it think that he should not be extended beyond the legal 12 days, provided that all leaders of the archipelago call to lift the barriers.

Accompanied by three senior French officials who will have the mission of resuming dialogue with separatists and non-separatists, Emmanuel Macron called for a constructive appeasement and looking for a solution policy.

But without returning to the result of the three referendums which recorded the maintenance of the overseas territory in the French Republic, because appeasement cannot be a step backhe pleaded.

A precarious return to calm

In the field, the night was calmindicated High Commissioner Louis Le Franc to theAFP.

There was no additional damage, but so much was destroyed, he further argued. At least 281 people have been taken into custody since May 12, the overwhelming majority for property crimes, according to a judicial Source.

The return to calm remains precarious. In the popular district of Montravel, mainly populated by the Kanak and Oceanian communities, groups of young people circulated with masked faces, carrying slingshots made of odds and ends, noted a journalist from theAFP.

And, on the road which connects Dumbéa, to the north of the capital of the archipelago, conquered and colonized in the 19th^e century, numerous filter dams and burned carcasses continue to chop up traffic.

In Greater Nouméa, these dams were even reinforced overnight.

The separatists raised their flags and hung banners: No to thawing.

The text [de réforme du corps électoral] for us, it no longer exists since there are deaths, it is no longer even a subject of discussionexplains to theAFP Lélé, a 41-year-old independent mother.

A return to normal life has begun in the center of Nouméa, crisscrossed by a strong police presence, and where many stores have reopened their doors.

To add to the instability, the archipelago was also hit by a cyber attack of unprecedented strength aiming to saturate the Caledonian networkbut which was stopped, announced Christopher Gygès, member of the Caledonian collegial government.

A large part of the political class is calling on the head of state to urgently postpone the congress.

I don’t see the President of the Republic being able [le] convene […] without prior general agreementnoted the President of the Senate Gérard Larcher.