New Caledonia on the brink of civil war
Published: 09 July 2024
Ann-Sophie Levidis
Australian National University
IN BRIEF
New Caledonia has been experiencing a severe state of unrest since May 2024, which resulted from a controversial voting law viewed as discriminatory by the local Kanak population, leading to barricades, skirmishes, looting and widespread damage. To end the crisis and prevent a civil war, it is essential to establish long-lasting peace, requiring careful consideration of the historical influences, transregional collaboration, increased comprehension of the conflict between the Kanak people and France and awareness of wider global tensions.
Amid heightened global tensions and a local crisis centring on the efforts of the indigenous Kanak people to secure their rights, the restoration of long-lasting peace is necessary in New Caledonia as the threat of civil war looms.
Since 13 May 2024, the nickel-rich islands in the Southwest Pacific have experienced severe unrest, described by French President Emmanuel Macron as an ‘unprecedented insurrection movement’, with the indigenous Kanak population at the forefront of the riots. On 15 May, France declared a state of emergency in its Pacific territory. The riots have targeted vehicles and ambulances bound for hospitals in Noumea, affecting residents’ access to healthcare. Barricades, skirmishes with the police and looting has left nine dead and hundreds injured, inflicting hundreds of millions of euros in damage.
After one month of deadly unrest, Macron announced on 12 June a temporary suspension of the controversial voting reforms to restore order, though this fails to address the long-term issues concerning the future of New Caledonia. The French High Commissioner of Noumea confirmed on 17 June that a curfew will still remain in effect and public gatherings will remain prohibited. The transfer of seven New Caledonian pro-independence activists to prisons in mainland France following the recent unrest has fuelled a new wave of violence in the French Pacific territory since 22 June.
The unrest in New Caledonia stems from a controversial law allowing individuals living in the region for over ten years to vote in local elections, which the Kanak community views as discriminatory. The law contradicted the Noumea Accord, a 1998 agreement granting increased political power to the collegial elected government of New Caledonia, comprising independence and loyalist parties.
New Caledonia and Paris agreed to conduct three independence referendums and the final referendum in 2021 seemed to be a decisive win for those advocating to remain part of France, but Kanak leaders boycotted the vote. As French President Emmanuel Macron had refused to postpone the referendum during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kanak leaders argued that traditional mourning rituals for the deceased hindered their participation. This situation has since challenged the pursuit of autonomy and self-governance in New Caledonia.
The unrest in New Caledonia is far more complex, rekindling wounds from French colonisation and intertwining with global tensions. Since 1853, the Kanak people have resisted French subjugation under a restrictive colonial code, which limited their rights and enforced strict segregation. The Kanak independence movement gained momentum in the 1960s and 1970s, influenced by increased access to education and exposure to the global civil rights movement. The so-called Red Scarves movement demanded a return of the land, sparking a civil war in 1984.
In 1986, the UN Special Committee on Decolonization listed New Caledonia as one of the seventeen territories that had not achieved full self-governance. Growing tensions between Paris and Noumea resulted in the tragic hostage taking in Ouvea in May 1988. The signing of the Matignon-Oudinot Agreements later that year marked a significant turning point, granting more powers to territorial authorities and initiating a process of land redistribution that marked the end of the civil war.
The deepening crisis in New Caledonia is also embedded in global tensions and wider political instability. At the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore from 31 May to 2 June, the Minister of the Armed Forces for France Sebastien Lecornu levied accusations against Azerbaijan for its interference in New Caledonia, allegations that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan have denied.
France’s support of Armenia in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has also caused tension with Azerbaijan. In response, as the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan may have been providing support to independence movements in French territories, such as the Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste.
Political instability in France could also disrupt the development of enduring solutions to the crisis in New Caledonia. On 7 July 2024, the French National Assembly elections witnessed a historic victory for Emmanuel Tjibaou, a pro-independence leader. Emmanuel Tjibaou is the son of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the founder of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste), who was assassinated in 1989. This election result is particularly notable as it represents the first instance since 1986 of an independence advocate securing a seat in the French National Assembly, located in Paris.
This triumph is poised to significantly impact the political landscape of New Caledonia, suggesting potential shifts towards greater autonomy or independence. Analysts warn that global tensions and political instability may impact France’s long-term military strategy in the Indo-Pacific, with concerns that French Pacific territories may pursue independence.
Historical memories of colonialism, the discontentment of the Kanak youth, the nickel crisis and global tensions are substantiating fears of another civil war. On 8 June, New Caledonian President Louis Mapou urged immediate action, calling for support from its Pacific neighbours to address the current crisis. A potential first step to remedy the situation may be through the mediation of Pacific nations. The Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum Mark Brown has already written to Louis Mapou, offering to provide a ‘neutral space … to find a way forward that preserves the interests of the people of New Caledonia’.
Re-establishing long-lasting peace is becoming an urgent priority, requiring transregional collaboration and understanding around the conflict between the Kanak people and France, as well as an awareness of wider global tensions. In the words of Kanak independence leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the pursuit of reconciliation will be a ‘bet on intelligence’.
Dr Ann-Sophie Levidis is Lecturer at the Australian National University.
https://doi.org/10.59425/eabc.1720519200
Australian National University
IN BRIEF
New Caledonia has been experiencing a severe state of unrest since May 2024, which resulted from a controversial voting law viewed as discriminatory by the local Kanak population, leading to barricades, skirmishes, looting and widespread damage. To end the crisis and prevent a civil war, it is essential to establish long-lasting peace, requiring careful consideration of the historical influences, transregional collaboration, increased comprehension of the conflict between the Kanak people and France and awareness of wider global tensions.
Amid heightened global tensions and a local crisis centring on the efforts of the indigenous Kanak people to secure their rights, the restoration of long-lasting peace is necessary in New Caledonia as the threat of civil war looms.
Since 13 May 2024, the nickel-rich islands in the Southwest Pacific have experienced severe unrest, described by French President Emmanuel Macron as an ‘unprecedented insurrection movement’, with the indigenous Kanak population at the forefront of the riots. On 15 May, France declared a state of emergency in its Pacific territory. The riots have targeted vehicles and ambulances bound for hospitals in Noumea, affecting residents’ access to healthcare. Barricades, skirmishes with the police and looting has left nine dead and hundreds injured, inflicting hundreds of millions of euros in damage.
After one month of deadly unrest, Macron announced on 12 June a temporary suspension of the controversial voting reforms to restore order, though this fails to address the long-term issues concerning the future of New Caledonia. The French High Commissioner of Noumea confirmed on 17 June that a curfew will still remain in effect and public gatherings will remain prohibited. The transfer of seven New Caledonian pro-independence activists to prisons in mainland France following the recent unrest has fuelled a new wave of violence in the French Pacific territory since 22 June.
The unrest in New Caledonia stems from a controversial law allowing individuals living in the region for over ten years to vote in local elections, which the Kanak community views as discriminatory. The law contradicted the Noumea Accord, a 1998 agreement granting increased political power to the collegial elected government of New Caledonia, comprising independence and loyalist parties.
New Caledonia and Paris agreed to conduct three independence referendums and the final referendum in 2021 seemed to be a decisive win for those advocating to remain part of France, but Kanak leaders boycotted the vote. As French President Emmanuel Macron had refused to postpone the referendum during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kanak leaders argued that traditional mourning rituals for the deceased hindered their participation. This situation has since challenged the pursuit of autonomy and self-governance in New Caledonia.
The unrest in New Caledonia is far more complex, rekindling wounds from French colonisation and intertwining with global tensions. Since 1853, the Kanak people have resisted French subjugation under a restrictive colonial code, which limited their rights and enforced strict segregation. The Kanak independence movement gained momentum in the 1960s and 1970s, influenced by increased access to education and exposure to the global civil rights movement. The so-called Red Scarves movement demanded a return of the land, sparking a civil war in 1984.
In 1986, the UN Special Committee on Decolonization listed New Caledonia as one of the seventeen territories that had not achieved full self-governance. Growing tensions between Paris and Noumea resulted in the tragic hostage taking in Ouvea in May 1988. The signing of the Matignon-Oudinot Agreements later that year marked a significant turning point, granting more powers to territorial authorities and initiating a process of land redistribution that marked the end of the civil war.
The deepening crisis in New Caledonia is also embedded in global tensions and wider political instability. At the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore from 31 May to 2 June, the Minister of the Armed Forces for France Sebastien Lecornu levied accusations against Azerbaijan for its interference in New Caledonia, allegations that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan have denied.
France’s support of Armenia in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has also caused tension with Azerbaijan. In response, as the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan may have been providing support to independence movements in French territories, such as the Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste.
Political instability in France could also disrupt the development of enduring solutions to the crisis in New Caledonia. On 7 July 2024, the French National Assembly elections witnessed a historic victory for Emmanuel Tjibaou, a pro-independence leader. Emmanuel Tjibaou is the son of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the founder of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste), who was assassinated in 1989. This election result is particularly notable as it represents the first instance since 1986 of an independence advocate securing a seat in the French National Assembly, located in Paris.
This triumph is poised to significantly impact the political landscape of New Caledonia, suggesting potential shifts towards greater autonomy or independence. Analysts warn that global tensions and political instability may impact France’s long-term military strategy in the Indo-Pacific, with concerns that French Pacific territories may pursue independence.
Historical memories of colonialism, the discontentment of the Kanak youth, the nickel crisis and global tensions are substantiating fears of another civil war. On 8 June, New Caledonian President Louis Mapou urged immediate action, calling for support from its Pacific neighbours to address the current crisis. A potential first step to remedy the situation may be through the mediation of Pacific nations. The Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum Mark Brown has already written to Louis Mapou, offering to provide a ‘neutral space … to find a way forward that preserves the interests of the people of New Caledonia’.
Re-establishing long-lasting peace is becoming an urgent priority, requiring transregional collaboration and understanding around the conflict between the Kanak people and France, as well as an awareness of wider global tensions. In the words of Kanak independence leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the pursuit of reconciliation will be a ‘bet on intelligence’.
Dr Ann-Sophie Levidis is Lecturer at the Australian National University.
https://doi.org/10.59425/eabc.1720519200
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