France will send hundreds of police against independence riots in New Caledonia

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, will not extend the state of emergency declared twelve days ago in New Caledonia to confront the unrest caused by pro-independence groups in the archipelago, the Elysée announced this Sunday.

In a statement, he indicated that the lifting of the state of emergency, which allowed the authorities to adopt exceptional measures, such as house arrests or the prohibition of certain demonstrations, will be effective starting at 8 p.m. this Monday.

With that measure Macron understands “allowing meetings” of the different pro-independence groups “and the trips to the blocking points of the elected officials or those who may call for their lifting.

In parallel, he announced the sending of 480 additional gendarmes, an additional reinforcement to that already sent in the first moments of the crisis.

The law enforcement forces are unable to regain control of the situation and although the tension has decreased and the disturbances are less, the airport will remain closed at least until day 2.

The demonstrations began last week, coinciding with the vote in the French National Assembly of a constitutional reform to modify the census of the archipelago and allow people settled in the territory to vote, which dilutes the proportion of nativesmost of them pro-independence, who do not accept this change.

Macron, who at the beginning of the week made a lightning trip to New Caledonia to relaunch the dialogue, made it an essential condition that the road blockades in the archipelago end, as well as the end of the violent acts that have caused several deaths in recent days. .

“This violence cannot pretend to be part of a legitimate political action,” said the Elysée, which reiterated that the president “reiterated his confidence in the elected representatives to reestablish dialogue.”

Macron appealed “to the de-escalation process that he proposed on his trip to New Caledonia.

“The president trusts the Caledonians and their representatives to rediscover the path of dialogue. The mediation and facilitation mission is present in Noumea”, capital of the French autonomous territory in the South Pacificadded the Elysée.

Macron promised to freeze the promulgation of the constitutional reform in exchange for ending the violence and opening a process of dialogue.