On 15th May, France will institute a state of emergency in New Caledonia, a Pacific island, following violent riots stemming from protests over electoral reform. The decision comes after the deaths of three young indigenous Kanak individuals and a police officer during the unrest.  

The state of emergency will grant authorities expanded powers, including the ability to prohibit gatherings and restrict movement across the French-administered territory. Additional police forces have been deployed to the island in response to the rioting, which has seen vehicles and businesses set ablaze, stores looted, and prompted the closure of schools along with the imposition of a curfew in the capital. 

"Since the beginning of the week, New Caledonia has experienced an unprecedented level of violence," stated Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. "We will not tolerate any form of violence," he added, emphasising that the state of emergency "will enable us to deploy significant resources to restore order." 

Earlier, a spokesperson for New Caledonia's President Louis Mapou confirmed the deaths of three young indigenous Kanak individuals in the riots. The French government later announced the death of a police officer due to a gunshot wound. 

Riots erupted following the adoption of a new bill by lawmakers in Paris on Tuesday. The bill grants French residents who have resided in New Caledonia for a decade the right to vote in provincial elections. Some local leaders fear that this measure will diminish the influence of the Kanak vote. 

"Lilou Garrido Navarro Kherachi, 19, who drove around protester blockades on Wednesday morning in the island's capital Noumea, stated, "Residents are terrorised, armed, and organising themselves to make rounds tonight and protect their homes." 

Lilou Garrido Navarro Kherachi described hearing gunfire and witnessing burning cars and buildings, including a veterinary clinic that had been evacuated by neighbours before the fire spread. Protesters significantly outnumbered police forces. 

The issue of electoral reform is the latest in a series of contentious issues in the longstanding debate over France's involvement in New Caledonia, a mineral-rich island located approximately 1,500 km (930 miles) east of Australia in the southwest Pacific. 

France annexed the island in 1853 and granted it the status of an overseas territory in 1946. Since then, New Caledonia has been marked by ongoing pro-independence movements, reflecting the complex relationship between the indigenous Kanak population and the French colonial administration. 

Image Source: The Guardian