French Forces Deployed Amid Deadly Unrest in New Caledonia

Following the deadliest violence in four decades in New Caledonia, hundreds of military and armed police reinforcements have been deployed to quell the clashes that have resulted in five deaths and hundreds of injuries. The unrest erupted due to anger over France’s plan to impose new voting rules in the territory. Paris has dispatched around 1,000 additional security forces to New Caledonia, with authorities vowing to impose the harshest penalties on rioters and looters.

Security reinforcements have been tasked with restoring order in areas where control has been lost, while 10 independence activists accused of organizing violence have been placed under house arrest. The violence, characterized by burning buildings, roadblocks, and clashes, marks the worst unrest since the 1980s in New Caledonia, where tensions persist over the issue of independence. Despite efforts to address the situation, including voting reforms, tensions between opposing sides remain high, posing challenges to resolving the crisis and restoring stability in the territory.