Police have begun to mobilise in the New Caledonian capital of Nouméa and surrounding cities in preparation for Wednesday’s national Citizenship Day event.
September 24, the anniversary of France’s “taking possession” of New Caledonia, is officially considered a “symbolic day” for the French Pacific territory, but the indigenous Kanak pro-independence movement still regards it as a day of “mourning”.
Security measures in place
Speaking to Radio New Zealand on Monday, French High Commissioner Jacques Billant shared that safety measures for the celebration include a deployment of “high-level” law enforcement.
This includes 2,600 gendarmes (about twenty squads) to ensure “public tranquillity”.
Aside from that, there will be 24 riot control armoured vehicles and 130 foreign staff for reinforcement.
“They will remain deployed beyond September and as long as needed,” Billant told the media outlet.
Patrols are conducting routine checks at surrounding schools, while a ban on alcohol consumption has been re-imposed, except in licensed bars and restaurants, until September 28.
“No public order unrest will be tolerated,” Billant added.
“There is still a feeling of insecurity. This is a reflection of a climate of tension, following the deadly and destructive riots that broke out in May 2024, causing 14 dead and over €2 billion [$2.35bn] in material damage.”
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History, people and culture
New Caledonia’s history began with Melanesian settlement around 3000 BCE, followed by British explorer James Cook’s 1774 naming of the island and French annexation in 1853.
The French period featured penal colonies, resource exploitation, and land dispossession, leading to numerous Kanak uprisings against the colonisation.
Following World War II and its strategic role as an Allied base, New Caledonia became a French overseas territory.
The latter half of the 20th century saw heightened Kanak nationalism and calls for independence, which led to the signing of the Matignon Agreements in 1988 and the Nouméa Accord in 1998.
Those negotiations granted the territory significant autonomy and paved the way for a future self-determination referendum.
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State of New Caledonia
In July of this year, the Bougival Accord, or the Agreement Project of the Future of New Caledonia, was signed by France’s Minister of the Overseas and New Caledonian political party leaders.
The aim of the new agreement is to replace the Nouméa Accord and officially recognise a ‘State of New Caledonia’ within France that gives New Caledonia more powers.
Under the new system, residents will have both French and New Caledonian nationalities.
However, it must first be enshrined in the French constitution and then ratified by a referendum.
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