Hassan Magulumali
France on Tuesday lifted a state of emergency in its Pacific territory of New Caledonia but is maintaining a curfew and sending hundreds of paramilitary reinforcements after two weeks of unrest in which seven people died and hundreds were injured.
Although The French presidency said restrictions have been relaxed to allow the main pro-independence FLNKS party to convene and local authorities to negotiate the removal of road blockades, a night curfew from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am and a prohibition on alcohol sales remain in place.
Additional paramilitary gendarmes, totaling 480, are set to depart for the territory imminently. Despite some calm, disturbances persist in Noumea’s Vallee-du-Tir district, with nearly 500 arrests made since the unrest commenced. Road closures, including access to the international airport, continue, with plans to reopen the airport slated for June 2. Efforts are underway to clear access to Medipole hospital using 600 police personnel.
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The lifting of blockades is seen as a prerequisite for meaningful negotiations, according to the French presidency. President Emmanuel Macron visited the archipelago on Thursday to address the crisis. The evacuation of French tourists began Saturday, with military flights transporting them to Australia and New Zealand.
Australia and New Zealand had already begun repatriating their citizens earlier in the week. A total of approximately 3,500 troops have been deployed to the archipelago, where two police officers have lost their lives.
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