French President Emmanuel Macron is heading to the chaos-ridden Pacific territory of New Caledonia in a bid to keep the last remnants of post-colonial power intact after getting kicked out of the African Sahel region in a major geopolitical blow for Paris.
For once, Macron will be busy with his own considerable problems instead of going around the world war-mongering or pontificating on themes like his climate alarmism obsession.
It’s been a week after riots erupted in the French overseas territory, killing six.
Australia and New Zealand have started evacuating tourists from the island away from the looted shops, torched cars and road barricades.
Reuters reported:
“The protests were sparked by anger among indigenous Kanak people over constitutional reform approved in Paris that would change who is allowed to take part in elections. Local leaders fear the change will dilute the Kanak vote.
Macron will meet elected officials and local representatives on Thursday for a day of talks focused on politics and on the reconstruction of the island, aides said.
Macron ‘will discuss with all the forces in New Caledonia’, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said. ‘The objective is to … prepare and anticipate reconstruction’.”
Can Macron jeep New Caledonia from breaking away from France?
To re-establish dialogue in the island will not be an easy task, since pro-independence leaders blame the riots on Macron and his insistence on pushing through the electoral reform despite local opposition.
“‘Here comes the fireman after he set the fire!’ Jimmy Naouna, from the Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS) of New Caledonia, wrote on X in response to news of Macron’s visit.
France annexed New Caledonia in 1853 and gave the colony the status of overseas territory in 1946. New Caledonia is the world’s No. 3 nickel miner but the sector is in crisis and one-in-five residents live below the poverty threshold.”
12 thousand miles away from France, New Caledonia is dealing with long-established by pro-independence movements, but past week’s violence has been the worst there in 40 years.
Now, more than 1,000 gendarmes and police from France were on patrol and another 600 would soon be added, France’s High Commission said.
But while Macron is flying in, just about everybody that can fly out is doing so.
Associated Press reported:
“The Australian military has flown 115 passengers on two flights from the restive French Pacific territory of New Caledonia and a French government flight was expected to evacuate another 100 stranded passengers on Wednesday, an Australian government minister said.”
The unrest is raising new questions about Macron’s handling of France’s colonial legacy.
“’We’ve prioritized the elderly, the pregnant and the most vulnerable’, Conroy told Nine Network television. ‘We’ll continue to work with the French government to make sure we get every Australian out of New Caledonia who does want to leave’.”
Conroy said France was planning more flights to Brisbane on Wednesday.
“’The French have indicated they intend to continue repatriating foreign nationals, particularly tourists so the primary plan is more French flights but … we do have contingency plans and we do have planes on standby should there be an issue with that course of action’, Conroy later told Australian Broadcasting Corp. ‘A French plane is expected to leave for Brisbane this afternoon or this evening and we expect around 100 Australians to be on it’.”
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The post As French Post-Colonial Power Crumbles, Macron Flies To Chaotic New Caledonia Territory – Pro-Independence Leaders Blame Him for Electoral Reform That Triggered Riots appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
