19-5-2024 (NOUMEA) French military forces dismantled approximately 60 roadblocks to clear a path from New Caledonia’s conflict-ridden capital to the airport, yet the route remains officially closed, a senior government official reported on Sunday, May 19.
Following six nights of violent clashes that have resulted in six fatalities and hundreds of injuries, security forces are preparing to launch “harassment” raids to reclaim other contested areas of the Pacific territory, stated Louis Le Franc, the French government’s representative in New Caledonia, during a televised address.
“Republican order will be re-established whatever the cost,” declared Le Franc, the high commissioner, as he addressed the radicals responsible for the unrest.
The Pacific archipelago, home to 270,000 people, has been gripped by turmoil since Monday. The unrest was ignited by French plans to implement new voting regulations, which would extend voting rights to tens of thousands of non-indigenous residents. The territory has a history of ethnic tensions and opposition to French rule, particularly from Kanak groups.
On Sunday, authorities reported that 600 heavily armed police officers participated in an operation to reopen the 60-kilometre main road from Noumea to the airport, which has been closed to commercial flights since the violence began.
The local government estimates that around 3,200 people are stranded either within New Caledonia or abroad due to the flight cancellations. Both Australia and New Zealand have urged France to permit evacuation flights for their citizens.
Le Franc confirmed that around 60 roadblocks erected by pro-independence groups had been “broken through” without confrontation. However, he noted that the route remains cluttered with the debris of cars, burned wood, and metal, with only 15 of the roadblocks fully cleared. Additionally, several sections of the road have sustained damage.
AFP journalists traversing the road encountered some re-established roadblocks by separatists, although they eventually managed to reach the airport.
Le Franc announced that police units would initiate “harassment operations” in the coming hours to reclaim “hardcore” areas in Noumea as well as the towns of Dumbea and Paita. “The intensity of these operations will increase in the coming days in zones held by independence activists,” he warned. “Those who choose to use their arms will face severe consequences.”
“I urge the rioters to stop, return to calm, and surrender their arms,” Le Franc appealed, describing the crisis as “unprecedented” and “grave.”
