The special education of France – the new Caledonia became an arena of unrest with the use of violence.
Earlier in New Caledonia, a commandant hour was introduced against the backdrop of ongoing clashes between supporters and opponents of independence, and the French government said that in the coming hours the situation on the island would be taken under control.
The French media write that the riots in New Caledonia have been going on for three days, but yesterday night was relatively calm.
About 4 thousand are involved in the riots in Numa, and 5 thousand supporters of independence outside the city.
On Thursday, May 16, during the riots in the overseas territory of France, located on dozens of islands in the southern part of the Pacific, a gendarmerie employee died. The number of victims of unrest reached five people. In addition, the curfew was extended until May 17.
The head of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs Gerald Darmanen said that about 2700 police officers and gendarmes would be sent to the island, and assured that the situation would be taken under control in the coming hours.
Darmanin also announced the detention of one person on suspicion of killing two local residents.
On the air of the France 2 channel, the Minister accused Azerbaijan of organizing riots in New Caledonia.
The Minister of Internal Affairs also stated that some independence supporters allegedly concluded a kind of “transaction” with Azerbaijan. “This is not fiction, this is the truth,” said the head of the department.
– What was the conveyed of the commandant hour in New Caledonia
In New Caledonia, independence supporters opposed the initiative of the French government on the reform of the Constitution, being convinced that this will reduce their influence in the elections.
Over two days of riots, about 200 offices and more than 50 cars were set on fire on the island.
Safety forces detained 130 people, more than 60 security officials were injured. Against the backdrop of the growth of violence in New Caledonia, a commandant hour was introduced.
New Caledonia with the capital in the city of Numaa a group of islands with an area of almost 19 thousand square km in the southwestern part of the Pacific.
In New Caledonia, important minerals are mined – chrome, cobalt, molybdenum, copper, gold, as well as nickel. At the same time, it was the export of Nickelieva ore that became one of the main sources of income of the islands. New Caledonia has approximately 10 percent of the world’s reserves of this metal – the second largest on Earth.
The region has the right to independently solve internal affairs, but the foreign policy course of the region is determined in accordance with the Constitution of France. The population of the New Caledonia is about 300 thousand people, mainly representatives of the indigenous people- Kanaki.