SAEDNEWS: France has agreed to grant far greater autonomy to its South Pacific territory New Caledonia—falling short of full independence demanded by the indigenous Kanak population but signaling a dramatic shift in Paris’s colonial legacy.
According to Saed News, France has consented to transform New Caledonia into a self‑governing “State of New Caledonia” within the French Republic, enshrining its new status in the constitution while stopping short of full sovereignty sought by many Kanaks. The accord follows last year’s violent protests over proposed voting‑system reforms, which left 14 dead and caused an estimated €2 billion in damages.
Under the Elysée‑signed agreement, New Caledonians will hold dual citizenship—French and New Caledonian—and the door remains open for international recognition of their new polity. A dedicated economic recovery plan will revitalize the archipelago’s nickel‑processing industry and shore up local infrastructure.
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the deal on the social platform X, calling it “a leap of faith for unity and stability,” while Kanak representative Emmanuel Tjibaou lauded it as “a path out of the cycle of violence.” Paris now expects to secure parliamentary approval in the fourth quarter of 2025, with a territory‑wide referendum slated for 2026.
New Caledonia, home to some 270,000 people, has been under French rule since the 19th century and has seen a persistent independence movement since the 1980s. Three referenda between 2018 and 2021 rejected secession—though Kanak boycott of the last vote, amid COVID‑19 concerns, underscored deep divides. May 2024 saw tensions peak when Paris proposed extending the franchise to long‑term non‑Kanak residents, a move critics say would cement Kanak minority status; the new agreement restricts voting rights to those with at least ten years of residency.
With France’s colonial grip loosening, the future of New Caledonia edges ever closer to full self‑rule—testing Macron’s promise of “one Republic, one trust.”
