The senior French official in New Caledonia announced on Friday the arrival of the first French police reinforcements, as part of wide-ranging efforts to regain control of the capital, Nouméa.
The representative of the French government in New Caledonia, Louis Le Fran, stated today, Friday, that control over many areas of this archipelago located in… The Pacific Ocean “It is no longer guaranteed,” and he announced the sending of reinforcements with the aim of “reclaiming” these areas after 4 nights of tension.
The number of police and gendarmes on the island, which is under French rule, is expected to rise to 2,700 from 1,700 by Friday evening.
Earlier, Le Fran had confirmed in a press conference broadcast on television that Thursday night was relatively calm after the riots that began last Monday, which resulted in the deaths of 4 people and the arrest of hundreds.
He added that there are still points of confrontation and concern in Noumea.
He stated that efforts are continuing to provide food and medicine to the public, and work will begin on this with teams that include specialists in clearing mines and opening roads that were booby-trapped by activists.
Le Fran confirmed that reinforcements will be deployed immediately to control the areas that have gone out of control in recent days.
In a statement issued by the New Caledonia government on Friday, the government indicated that there is a stock of food sufficient for two months, but the problem lies in distribution.
It is mentioned that France It declared a state of emergency on the island, imposed house arrest on a number of people, and banned the TikTok application.
French authorities reported that during the state of emergency, about 200 people were arrested out of about 5,000 rioters.
The riots broke out over a bill allowing French citizens who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote in local elections, raising fears that the voting rights of indigenous people would be undermined.
New Caledonia has been witnessing an ongoing conflict for decades over France’s role on this island located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, which is famous for its mineral production.