Emmanuel Macron called on Thursday for “constructive pacification” and the search for a political “solution”, but did not budge on the results of three referendums that voted in favour of keeping the overseas territory within the French Republic, France 24 reports.
Arriving in Nouméa, New Caledonia’s capital, on a visit after a week of unrest, the head of state opened his first meeting with local elected officials and economic representatives with a minute’s silence in memory of the six people killed in recent days.
He announced that some 3,000 members of the security forces flew to New Caledonia for riot control would remain there “as long as necessary, even during the Olympic and Paralympic Games” in Paris, which will finish in early September.
Although the government has declared a state of emergency in the territory, the president said he was not in favour of extending it beyond Monday’s deadline, which would require legislation. He said in the presence of elected representatives of both pro-independence and non-independence supporters:
I personally believe that this state of emergency should not be extended, because I am deeply convinced that dialogue is necessary. But it will only be lifted if everyone, acting responsibly, calls for the removal of the roadblocks, which I say is still not happening with such clarity.
Government representatives at a meeting with the president
On the pro-independence side, Louis Mapou, President of the Government of New Caledonia, and Roch Wamytan, President of the Congress, were present, as was Jacques Lafleur, President of the Provincial Assembly of the Loyalty Islands.
Addressing them, Emmanuel Macron recalled that last summer he proposed “two paths” here – “forgiveness” and “the future” – to turn the page on the Nouméa Accord and the three referendums, even if the outcome of the last referendum is being challenged by the independence movement. He said:
We need to go back to the drawing board and see how we can find what I would call constructive pacification, in other words, to restore calm, the ability to find dialogue and a solution.
Earlier, Macron has facilitated dialogue in New Caledonia between pro-independence and pro-France factions. Those efforts culminated in the 2018 referendum, the first of three in which New Caledonians voted by a narrow margin to remain part of France.
