France Announces Agreement to Give New Caledonia More Autonomy
The agreement would create the 'State of New Caledonia' within the French Republic, according to the 13-page document. The state would be enshrined in France's constitution, and other nations would be allowed to recognize it.
'A State of New Caledonia within the Republic: It's a bet on trust,' President Emmanuel Macron of France said on social media.
The agreement must be approved by both the French Parliament and the people of New Caledonia, a collection of Pacific islands with a population of about 270,000. It concludes a tense negotiation involving the French government and the territory's pro- and anti-indepedence groups.
Last year, there were protests and riots in New Caledonia over a proposed amendment to the French Constitution that some Indigenous Kanak people feared would dilute their voting power and hamper their aspiration for independence.
Seven people died in the riots, many more were injured, and businesses suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. France declared a state of emergency for the territory, which has large reserves of nickel and is a crucial foothold for France in a region where China is asserting its influence. Hundreds of armed French police officers were mobilized.
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