New Caledonia was on edge on Tuesday, with fears tensions could spill over into fresh unrest as the territory marked the anniversary of the French takeover – and some independence figures prepared to issue calls for sovereignty, reports The Guardian.
September 24 is a symbolic day in New Caledonia, long regarded as a day of mourning among the Indigenous Kanak population. This year the anniversary comes after months of deadly unrest and heightened tensions in the French Pacific territory between pro-independence Kanak people and the communities loyal to Paris.
Authorities have stepped up the police presence, tightened curfews, and banned alcohol and gatherings over the four-day holiday period. While relative calm had returned to most of the territory in recent weeks, reports on Thursday that two men had been shot dead during a police operation south of Nouméa rekindled the anger of Kanak youth.
In May, unrest in the territory erupted after news of plans in France for a bill to enlarge the electoral body for local elections. The move angered Kanak people – who make up about 41% of the population – over fears it would weaken their electoral power and undermine longstanding efforts to secure independence. Thirteen people, mostly Kanaks, and including two police officers, have been killed and nearly 3,000 people arrested over the violence.
In Nouméa’s Tuband district, where clashes have been frequent since May, barricades were erected ahead of Tuesday. The neighbourhood was covered in red, white and blue flags. They faced the Kanaky flags of the neighbourhood opposite, a symbol of two groups living next to each other, without ever really mixing.
“We’re not as scared as we were at the start of the riots, but we’re not immune to young people wanting to mark the date,” said Mathieu, a Tuband resident in his 50s.
About 6,000 officers, gendarmes and firefighters were to be deployed across New Caledonia amid fears of fresh clashes.