New Caledonian separatists appoint imprisoned party leader as chief

Koumac, France – An alliance of parties seeking New Caledonia's independence has named as its leader a prominent opposition leader currently in prison in France over a wave of deadly unrest in the French Pacific territory.

Christian Tein, who considers himself a “political prisoner,” was one of seven independence activists transferred to mainland France in June, a move that sparked renewed violence that rocked the archipelago and left 11 people dead.

His appointment as head of the Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) on Saturday could complicate efforts to end the crisis, which was triggered by a Paris plan for electoral reform in May that indigenous Kanaks fear could thwart their independence ambitions by turning them into a permanent minority.

Laurie Humuni of the RDO party, one of the four members of the FLNKS alliance, said on Saturday that Tein's nomination was a recognition of his CCAT party's leading role in mobilizing the independence movement.

It was not clear whether the other two alliance members, UPM and Palika, supported the move – they had refused to attend the last FLNKS meeting and said they would not support any of the proposals.

FILE – The Kone City Hall is seen in downtown Kone in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia on August 30, 2024.

The alliance also stated that it was ready to resume talks on ending the protests, but only if local anti-independence groups were excluded.

“We will have to remove some blockages to allow the population to access vital services, but that does not mean we are giving up our fight,” Humuni told AFP.

France announced on Thursday that it had agreed with the Pacific states to send a fact-finding mission to New Caledonia to resolve the conflict. However, a date for the mission has not yet been set.

President Emmanuel Macron's government deployed thousands of soldiers and police to restore order in the archipelago, nearly 17,000 kilometers from Paris, but electoral reforms were suspended in June.