President Emmanuel Macron arrived in New Caledonia early this morning on a visit aimed at restoring dialogue and to speed up the restoration of order on the French archipelago in the South Pacific after a week of violence, AFP reported, quoted by BTA.
"My desire... is to support people so that peace, tranquility and security can be restored as quickly as possible," he said as he got off the plane, adding that he came with "great respect and humility".
The president changed his schedule to travel some 10,000 miles, prompted by New Caledonia's worst violence since the 1980s. The visit, which is expected to last only one day, will allow him to see the destruction firsthand. He is expected to push for renewed talks between local leaders divided by the issue of independence from France and to thank French security forces trying to restore order. More than 1,000 people were sent to the scene, and a state of emergency was introduced in the country.
The violence erupted on May 13 as the French parliament in Paris debated an amendment to the French constitution to make changes to New Caledonia's electoral rolls. The National Assembly has approved a bill that, among other changes, will allow residents who have lived in New Caledonia for at least 10 years to vote in provincial elections.
Opponents fear the measure will favor pro-French politicians in New Caledonia and further marginalize Kanak people, who once suffered from strict segregation policies and widespread discrimination, AP notes.
For decades, there has been tension between the Kanak and the descendants of the colonizers and others who have settled in the territory of 270,000 people and want to remain part of France.