Separatists in riot-hit New Caledonia refuse to abandon roadblocks that have paralysed much of the Pacific archipelago and halted commercial air traffic, defying a major security operation by French forces.
Separatists in New Caledonia have refused to abandon roadblocks that have paralysed much of the Pacific archipelago.
New Caledonia, with a population of about 270,000, has since May 13 been rocked by unrest sparked by French plans to impose new rules that would give tens of thousands of non-Indigenous residents voting rights. Hailing Sunday's operation as a "success", the French high commission in New Caledonia said forces would remove burned-out vehicles littering the key route for essential food and material supplies.
"It feels like being in the The Walking Dead," local post office director Thomas de Deckker said, referring to the post-apocalyptic zombie television series.Anti-riot blast balls, often used to release tear gas or pepper spray, could be heard in one suburb of Noumea during the night, they said."The islands are on fire, for sure, but we have to remember that they tried to be heard for a long time and it led to nothing," resident Laloua Savea said.
That would require the approval of both the lower house National Assembly and the upper house Senate."There will be no food shortage, no petrol shortage," he told a news conference. "I think it's extremely important to reassure New Caledonians."Four people have now died in the unrest, with French officials saying a police officer died from a gunshot wound.
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